MULTI-MATERIAL CARTONS FOR RECYCLING BINS & XMAS COLLECTIONS

Island residents can now dispose of mixed-material cartons – for example Tetra Paks – in their recycling bins or clear plastic sacks.

These cartons are widely used for drinks and foods such as orange juice, chopped tomatoes or long-life milk and use different materials including plastic, cardboard and aluminium, which are designed to keep the product fresh for longer.

New waste contractor Amey now recycles the cartons, helping the company achieve the council’s target of 90 per cent diversion from landfill and 55 per cent of waste recycled by 2020.

Councillor Luisa Hillard, Executive member with responsibility for sustainability, said: “When recycling first started on the Island we were told that Tetra-Pak cartons could not be recycled. Many residents may still have the original ‘what you can and cannot recycle’ cards that were sent out a few years back, which say this style of carton cannot be recycled. However, you can cross that one off and put these types of cartons in with your recycling now. This is excellent news for residents ahead of a busy festive period and it’s good news for the council because we will be increasing the amount we recycle.”

Residents should continue to put their waste out for collection by 7am on their scheduled collection day.

Here are the changes in collection times for Christmas and New Year:

Normal collection day Revised collection day
Mon 21 December Sat 19 December
Tue 22 December Mon 21 December
Wed 23 December Tue 22 December
Tue 24 December Wed 23 December
Fri 25 December Thu 24 December
Mon 28 December UNCHANGED
Tue 29 December UNCHANGED
Wed 30 December UNCHANGED
Thu 31 December UNCHANGED
Fri 1 January Sat 2 January

For the first time this year, residents can book a collection for their natural Christmas trees, which will be collected from the kerbside on the same day as recycling collection and taken for composting.

This​ ​ service will be available between 7 January and 4 February 2016 but must be booked at least three working days in advance. To book a collection, contact (01983) 823777.