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Recycling Review

Introduction

We are considering a change to how we collect your recycling and want to hear your thoughts.

Currently, most households use a three box system collected every fortnight. We are proposing a move to a two bin system (two 240-litre wheeled bins) to make recycling easier and more efficient. Each bin, containing a different material group, would be collected once a month.

Why are we proposing this change?
Our goal is to create a cleaner, greener community by:
  • Increasing Capacity: Wheeled bins offer more space, making it easier for households to recycle more materials without overflowing.
  • Reducing Litter: Lidded bins prevent paper and light plastics from blowing away on windy days, keeping our streets tidier. Bins also prevent the materials from becoming wet making them easier to recycle.
  • Improving Safety: Wheeling a bin is easier for many residents than carrying heavy boxes, and it significantly reduces the risk of lifting injuries for our collection crews.
  • Increasing Efficiency: A two stream system (e.g., one bin for paper/card and one for glass/plastic/metals/cartons) is more efficient to collect and helps maintain high quality recycling, which we can sell to reproducers to create new materials.
Why are we proposing two bins instead of one?
Providing one bin for all recycling materials is not possible under current government guidance. This guidance recommends that paper and cardboard should not be collected mixed with other materials, particularly glass, as small pieces of glass can contaminate the paper and make it harder to recycle.

Collecting paper and cardboard separately helps ensure a higher quality material that can be recycled more easily. We already collect these materials separately as part of our current service.

How can you help?
This survey is your opportunity to tell us how this change might affect you. Your feedback on storage space, ease of use, and any concerns will directly inform our final decision.

The survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. Your responses are anonymous and will be used solely for the purpose of improving our waste and recycling services.

Thank you for your time and for helping us move toward a more sustainable future.
Our survey asks for some personal information which you may choose not to give. We do not publish or share any information which can identify you. Please read our privacy notice to find out more about how we protect your personal information. We will ask for your consent to this at the start of the survey.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting ycc@york.gov.uk.
1.Do you confirm that you have read and understood the privacy notice? You must select ‘Yes’ in order to take the survey.(Required.)
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