Message from WODC regarding black boxes
Provision of recycling collections using black boxes
Following a decision from Full Council in June 2016, from 1st October the Council will be introducing fortnightly comingled recycling collections using a wheeled bin for mixed materials, with the exception of glass which will be collected in a black box for glass.
If a property has no outdoor space for a wheeled bin they will continue on a weekly black box collection. Residents cannot choose to remain on a black box collection if they are able to store a wheeled bin. The reason for this is that the vehicles collecting the recycling will be fitted with a bin lift for the mixed recycling. Where a small minority of households have black boxes these will be emptied into another wheeled bin so they can be tipped into the vehicle but this collection methodology has proven to be undeliverable to an acceptable standard on a large scale by the existing collections in West Oxfordshire. The more the crews have to do this the more inefficient the collection would be; additional vehicles, crews and fuel would be required to complete the rounds each day. This would be push the costs up to the tax payer, increase congestion due to an increased number of slow moving vehicles being used and increase the carbon foot print of the collection service due to the increased fuel usage. We therefore need to minimise the number of black box households.
We already know who most of these households are as most of them will already be on a sack collection for refuse. Any new customers requesting a black box recycling collection will be assessed to ensure their property cannot accommodate a wheeled bin -- in some cases this will be a simple check such as looking on a mapping system to .see if the property has appropriate garden space with access to the kerbside. Where this cannot be easily determined someone will go out to check whether the property could have a wheeled bin. This is simply to ensure we are fair and consistent in our approach.
It should be noted that to date we have had less than 70 requests for an assessment as the resident does not feel that their property is suitable for a comingled recycling bin.
Liz Leffman · Fri 21 Jul 2017, 16:08 · Link