Somerset Waste (SWP) Sep Newsletter

Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) September Sorted! Newsletter

Got a free van or trailer permit for Somerset recycling sites that has a 30th September expiry date?
No need to worry or get a new permit; the scheme is rolling on unchanged. The only changes to future permits are that they will be blue with no expiry date.

Whatever its colour, your card stays valid unless your details change, such as your address or vehicle. Only then do you need to apply for a new permit and destroy the old card.

The permit scheme was started to keep busy sites operating safely and efficiently with 1.6m visits a year, following recycling site restrictions by all of Somerset's neighbours. Permits have successfully helped cut congestion, crime and waste levels, maintained safety and efficiency, and contributed to Somerset's long-term fall in fly-tipping.

Click here for details or to apply for a permit, with instant online confirmation to use until the card arrives, https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/apply-for-a-permit/ . Remember: if you already have a permit, do nothing- there is no need to get a new one.

Recycling site winter timetables start 1st October
All 16 recycling sites start new winter timetables on Tuesday 1st October 2019. When open weekdays, sites will start at 9am and close at 5pm. Saturday and Sunday hours at all 16 sites remain 9am-4pm all year round. Summer hours- 9am-6pm when sites open weekdays- resume on Wednesday 1st April 2020.

Great Waste Ideas
Back in July, we asked for your tips to waste less and recycle more, and the response was great. Among the best:

Plastic containers with lids- yoghurt pots, takeaway boxes, ice-cream tubs ' are my go-to for storing leftover food in the fridge, for freezing food in small portions, and for taking to supermarkets to buy fresh meat or and deli counter foods.
Reuse plastic packaging bags ' from bread, toilet rolls etc ' to line small bins or as animal poo bags.
Reuse glass jars with lids for jams, chutneys, pickled onions, or for food in the fridge; jars without lids for flower vases; all jars for keeping DIY, sewing and craft things, and for home-made toiletries.
Reuse plastic bottles and small boxes by giving them to schools for art and crafts projects.
Ordering milk in glass bottles will cut your plastic drastically.

We are always keen to hear what you are doing to cut waste, raise reuse and help recycling across Somerset, so please do send in any top tips as well as letting us know about any local recycling news or activities so we can share them with others.
Somerset Waste Partnership, Broughton House, Blackbrook Park Avenue, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 2PR
Website: www.somersetwaste.gov.uk
Email: enquiries@somersetwaste.gov.uk
Tel: 01823 625700
Facebook: www.facebook.com/somersetwaste
Twitter: twitter.com/SomersetWaste

Recycling site safety: bomb squad alert over hazardous items
A suspected grenade has prompted a reminder for customers to check if items are hazardous before taking them to a recycling site. The bomb disposal squad was called to Frome Recycling Centre and luckily discovered that the military item was not dangerous.

Explosives and ammunition are among the items that cannot be accepted at any recycling site. The list includes petrol and diesel, which must be removed from any fuel-driven machinery intended for recycling, such as old mowers, strimmers and chainsaws, before taking the item to a recycling site. The fuel in these items can easily start a fire, putting customers and staff at risk, closing sites and taking firefighters away from other blazes.

Contact the police about explosives or ammunition and take petrol and diesel to a garage for reuse or disposal. Check here for our advice on hazardous waste https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/hazardous-waste/.

It's in our hands- recycling's new campaign
Across Somerset and throughout the UK, Recycle Week-23-29 September ' will remind us all that recycling is 'in our hands', and urge us to empty, rinse, crush, squash, sort and separate all suitable materials.

Recycle Week highlights that more and more people are recycling, and how easy it is to join them. Make a note of the dates and watch out for some colourful posts on our website and social media with the hashtags #recycleweek and #inourownhands.

Do share the messages as widely as possible so we can get everyone in Somerset on board, not only with all the materials that can be recycled at the kerbside, but the household and food plastic pots, tubs and trays that can be taken to all recycling sites.

Free eco-education at your child's school ' here's how
Backed by Somerset Waste Partnership, the successful Schools Against Waste campaign led by Somerset eco-education specialists Carymoor Environmental Trust starts a new term soon, and your child's school could get a free visit with lots of 'green' activities and learning. Any schools or groups tackling Key Stage I or II ' such as primary schools ' can get in touch with Carymoor to request a free 'rubbish assembly' and fun workshops on important issues, from plastics to composting. For more information, and to apply email education@carymoor.org.uk

Join thousands getting ready for Recycle More
The amount of plastic being recycled from Somerset is rising fast, thanks to thousands of people taking millions of household and food plastic pots, tubs and trays to all 16 recycling sites. They are all getting ready for the Recycle More service of expanded weekly recycling collections ' those plastic pots, tubs and trays, plus beverage cartons, household batteries and small electrical items ' and three-weekly rubbish pick-ups that will start rolling out across Somerset from mid-2020. To know more about plastics, check out our new web resources, including a great Q&A on what happens to all the plastic items you recycle.

Watch out for Your Somerset arriving soon
The Your Somerset newspaper will start dropping on doormats from early September, complete with SWP's four-page pull-out guide to all waste services, plus news about the new collections contractor, permits, winter recycling site timetables, and more on Recycle More.

Spot the twin skips ' ask which one to use
As part of the 2020 switch from landfilling waste in Somerset to using almost all rubbish to generate power at a brand-new Resource Recovery Centre (RRC) plant in Avonmouth, all recycling sites have trial twin skips for unrecyclable waste; one for materials that will soon go to the new RRC, the other for materials that must still be landfilled. Ask staff which skip to use. NB: Staff may check your waste to ensure all recycling has been separated.

More on Somerset Waste Partnership, our services and preventing waste
See our website for lots more information on waste and recycling services and what more you can to do to reduce, reuse and recycle. Contact your local council customer services helpline if you need assistance with our services.

Somerset Waste Partnership, Broughton House, Blackbrook Park Avenue, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 2PR
Website: www.somersetwaste.gov.uk
Email: enquiries@somersetwaste.gov.uk
Tel: 01823 625700
Facebook: www.facebook.com/somersetwaste
Twitter: twitter.com/SomersetWaste