Q. Why is Oldham Council changing its household waste and recycling services?
We need to offer additional services and change existing practices to meet tough Government targets that are aimed at boosting recycling and cutting the amount of waste that ends up in landfill. At the same time we need to provide a value for money service to local residents.
Q. When do these new arrangements start?
The closed bin lid and no side waste practice will come into effect from Tuesday 15 November 2005.
The end of passage / walkway collection points will come into effect from Tuesday 6 December 2005.
Q. Are such arrangements unique to Oldham?
No. These practices for collecting household waste are commonplace in local authorities in England and Wales. The changes will bring us in line with the operational practices of all neighbouring authorities in Greater Manchester and the rest of England and Wales.
Q. Will the changes affect my Council Tax?
As a result of these changes there will be less pressure for your Council Tax to raise as we will be generating income from the sale of increased amounts of recyclable items collected and expensive landfill disposal costs will be avoided.
Q. What happens to the materials collected for recycling and composting?
All the material collected in the black boxes is sent to re-processors to be recycled. Glass gets made into new jars and bottles, cans are melted down to make new metal products, paper makes new paper, and plastic bottles can even make fleece jackets!
All of the garden waste collected is composted and then used as a soil improver on agricultural land. In the future it may be possible to offer the compost to you.
Q. I live in a terraced property, why do I now have to take my grey-wheeled bin to the end of the entry to have it collected?
The Council has to achieve greater value for money in delivering all of its services. By moving to an end of passage collection service, we can collect bins from the homes on your street a lot quicker as they will all be located together at the ends of passages.
As we will stop driving down the entries it will mean that we will be able to use larger vehicles with an increased capacity. This will result in fewer trips to empty the collected waste, which is more efficient. This will lead to a reduction in the number of waste collection rounds, which leads to significant financial savings to the Council through reduced vehicle hire costs, fuel, and reductions in vehicle damage resulting from driving down alleys.
None of the existing waste collection workforce will be made redundant.
In the future it may be possible to use the savings made from adopting this method of waste collection to helping refurbish alleys across the Borough.
Q. Can large families request extra recycling bags, boxes and bins?
The Council will provide additional Green Bags and Black Boxes for recycling on request at no additional cost.
For people who request an additional green waste bin, one will be provided at a discounted price.
If you feel that once you have additional containers for recycling and composting you still have too much rubbish, then please call ‘Contact Oldham’ on 0161 770 6644 to arrange a waste audit to be carried out at your home. This will allow us to work with you to help reduce, reuse, recycle and compost your waste using the containers we have supplied.
Q. What types of waste can the Council not collect from your home?
The following items are not acceptable as household waste and will not be collected by the Council from your home:
The Council does not collect any waste created on household premises by builders, plumbers, electricians, gardeners, joiners, odd-job men, glaziers, double-glazing installers, fitted kitchen / bedroom installers or any other tradesmen.
All contractors should remove the waste they produce when carrying out any work on your property. They are legally obliged to do this under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. If you let them place their waste in your grey wheeled bin you may also be guilty of an offence by causing them to evade their legal duty of not declaring the waste generated from the work as “commercial waste”.
Q. Will the policy of not collecting any excess domestic waste lead to increased fly tipping across the Borough?
Experience elsewhere suggests that this should not be the case. If householders separate their recyclables and use the extra facilities provided by the Council then there will be less waste to go in your grey bin. The Council has powers to prosecute people who fly-tip their household waste and makes full use of them. This year nearly 170 people were successfully prosecuted or cautioned for fly tipping by the Council. If convicted people can expect a fine up to £50,000 and/or five years imprisonment.
Q. What if I don’t want to recycle?
The Council’s waste management officers can provide you with free advice and help you to manage your waste according to these new arrangements - call ‘Contact Oldham’ on 0161 770 6644 for further details. However, households are advised that persistent and deliberate non-compliance with the new arrangements may result in prosecution. The Government has created new legislation to allow local authorities to enforce, if necessary, the changes outlined in this document. The Council has enforcement officers that specifically deal with waste related matters.
Q. Why is the Council stopping its collections of extra household rubbish that can’t be recycled and requiring grey-wheeled bin lids to be closed?
With effect from 15 November 2005 the Council will not collect rubbish that can’t be contained in household’s grey-wheeled bin with the lid closed.
There are significant benefits in adopting this practice:
Q. How do I dispose of items that are too big to fit in my grey-wheeled bin?
Have you considered donating items to charity? There are charities that will take items of furniture, electrical goods and other bulky items, as long as they are in reasonable condition.
You can also take your bulky household waste to the Household Waste and Recycling Centres located for disposal.
Additionally, you can arrange for the Council to collect some bulky items.
Q. What if I am physically unable to put my waste containers out for collection?
The Council is aware that not everyone will be capable of moving household waste containers due to disability or infirmity.
You can request that the Council collects your waste from your door-step if you feel physically unable to take it to the collection point and there is no one else to help you. The assisted collections will only be available to those who can demonstrate that infirmity or disability prevents them from moving their bin to the collection point.
If you wish to apply for an assisted collection please fill in the Assisted Collection Application Form. You will also need to provide supporting documents such as Attendance Allowance, Disability Allowance or Mobility Allowance etc. Additionally, you may be contacted by a Council Officer to arrange a home visit to assess your application.
For more information please call ‘Contact Oldham’ on 0161 770 6644.
Q. What if I don’t have a bin?
If you move into a property and there are no bins we will supply a black box, green bag for recycling, a green bin for green garden waste (if applicable) at no charge. If there is no Grey Wheeled Refuse bin a charge of £23.00 will be made for the supply of a new one.
If your grey-wheeled bin is stolen we will provide a replacement free of charge. If it goes missing again then a charge of £23.00 will be made to replace it.
To make a request call ‘Contact Oldham’ on 0161 770 6644
Q. Can I request a Larger Refuse Bin?
If you are considering applying for an additional wheeled refuse bin because you feel your current bin is not large enough for your needs please read the following:
The Council requests that all residents use the full range of services available for disposing of and recycling their waste - not just their grey-wheeled bin. If you are having difficulty with recycling, please contact the Council for help. Call ‘Contact Oldham’ on 0161 770 6644
You can click here to download an application form for an additional bin.
Q. Can I still use the bring-recycling sites?
Yes. We are currently improving existing sites and adding more sites across the Borough. This will give a choice in how we recycle and also provide those residents who live in flats and are not served by our kerbside recycling services the opportunity to do so in their neighbourhood. To see where your nearest recycling site is visit our pages on Mini Recycling Sites and Household Waste and Recycling Centres.
Q. How do I dispose of the waste that the Council cannot collect?
You can take your household waste to your nearest Household Waste and Recycling Centres located at:
These facilities not only offer additional opportunities for you to recycle and compost your waste but also are disposal points for hazardous household waste (such as paint, oil and car batteries), DIY waste and soil and rubble.
You can also hire a skip from the Council at a competitive rate - call ‘Contact Oldham’ on 0161 770 6644 for further details.
Alternatively you can look in your local telephone directory under the headings “skip hire” or “house clearance” for organisations that offer household waste collections services.
Householders are reminded that they should ensure their waste is disposed of in a proper manner at a licensed waste disposal site. Fly tipping is illegal and irresponsible - it is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. It also carries a fine of up to £50,000.