Big increase in recycling collected since March

North East Lincolnshire Council is thanking households for recycling hundreds of tonnes more since March this year than they did in last year.

Bin crews collected 811 tonnes more recycling between 1 March and 30 September this year than last year. Garden waste is up by 275 tonnes for the same period and household waste is up by 1,983 tonnes.

The COVID-19 national lockdown in March resulted in big changes for most households and this was reflected in their bins.

And now 60,000 households are using new recycling bins with six times the capacity of the old recycling boxes. Deliveries of the new bins started at the end of July.

Cllr Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for Environment and Transport at North East Lincolnshire Council, said:

“More and more people in North East Lincolnshire are recycling and now we’re making it even easier with the introduction of the new wheelie bins.

“I’m grateful to everyone who is making the effort to recycle, your efforts are making a big difference.

“By recycling more we can help conserve natural resources, save energy and protect the environment.

“Our recycling rate for September was a fraction under 37 per cent and we should see this improve even more when we start recycling more plastics early next year.

“2020 has been a tough year, the lockdown and subsequent restrictions have had a big impact on people’s household waste and recycling.

“We’re in the final stages of the bin deliveries and we’re on track to finish early in November.”

Bin deliveries

This week, recycling bins are arriving at households in parts of Humberston, Ashby cum Fenby, Barnoldby le Beck, Waltham, Brigsley, New Waltham, Cleethorpes, Heneage, Little Coates, Nunsthorpe, and The Willows.

From 26 October, bins will be delivered in parts of Laceby, Bradley, Aylesby, Cleethorpes, East Marsh, West Marsh, Healing, Immingham, Habrough, and Stallingborough.

Visit the recycling bins page at www.nelincs.gov.uk/bins to check your delivery date. Some new build homes, communal properties and houses with no front garden will not appear on the calendar.

Sign up for email updates about waste and recycling at www.nelincs.gov.uk/BinUpdates.

What happens to existing recycling boxes?

North East Lincolnshire Council is working with Stallingborough-based recycling company Grimsby Granulation Ltd to collect and recycle the unwanted boxes. The boxes are ground into pellets ready to be used to make new products. So far they’ve recycled 57 tonnes of unwanted recycling boxes.

A team from Grimsby Granulation Ltd is following the council’s waste crews and taking the boxes that are left out on the first collection days with the new bins.

They carry cards to show they are working with the council. There have been reports of other people taking the boxes.

Unwanted boxes can also be returned to the Community Recycling Centres in Grimsby or Immingham.

Recycling rates and weight collected

The percentage of household waste sent for recycling and composting in September 2020 is 36.68 per cent.

Recycling rates from previous years:
2017/18: 31.8
2018/19: 35
2019/20: 35.45
2020/21: Target rate is 37

Difference between 2020 and 2019, March to September