Collection days for Medway's new weekly recycling system.

Medway Council has announced that from today (28 October), its residents will see their recyclables collected on a weekly – rather than fortnightly – basis.

The change has been funded through a £14 million grant given to Medway Council from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), as part of the £250 million Weekly Collection Support Scheme (WCSS).

The money is being used to increase dry recycling and organic waste collections in a move to ‘make it easier for residents to sort and separate recyclable materials at home’.

Good for the environment and the taxpayer

Medway Council asserts that ‘ensuring as much material as possible is recycled is good for the environment and also good for the taxpayer as it cuts down on the cost to the local authority of using landfill’.

The council has said that there will be no change to anyone’s collection day, or to their residual waste collections (also weekly), but residents are asked to ensure all waste and recycling is put out by 7am.

Recycling will be collected in blue and white reusable bags, with blue bags being used for paper and card, and white bags for glass, cans, empty aerosols, clean foil and household plastic packaging. Residents are being advised that if they fill their white bags, the relevant materials can be placed in clear plastic sacks for collection.

Aside from dry recyclables, the council will also collect food and garden waste on a weekly basis. Homes with brown wheelie bins for organic waste (or those who have requested them) are currently being supplied with kitchen caddies to help recycle more food waste. The council says that so far, over 66,000 kitchen caddies and compostable liners have been delivered, and will continue to be delivered to households until ‘mid-November’.

“Spend less using landfill”

Speaking of the new system Councillor Phil Filmer, Medway Council Portfolio Holder for Frontline Services, said: “Weekly collections will make it easier than ever before for residents to recycle.

“We would like to thank all those who currently do recycle as this is good for the environment and helps us keep council tax down as it means we spend less using landfill.

“I’m very pleased that we have managed to win a government grant that allows us to bring in these improvements to recycling for all of Medway’s residents.

“I would urge people to please make full use of this excellent service and recycle as much as they possibly can.”

Read more about Medway Council’s new recycling system.