Stafford Borough Council is introducing a new blue bag for paper and cardboard recycling in an effort to improve the quality of recycling.
Residents in Stone and across the borough will be receiving a new blue bag for paper and cardboard as the council aims to improve the quality of recycling, ensure recycling stays in the UK for processing – and save money.
Bag details
The new blue bag will hold 72 litres, the current paper caddy is 45 litres and residents are advised that cardboard should be flattened to ensure the maximum amount can be fit in the bag.
The bags have an address area to write your address and will be both weatherproof and weighted, which should help in preventing it blowing away.
Additional bags can be requested, details are at the end of this article where you can find a link to a comprehensive list of FAQ’s.
Why is the change being introduced?
Currently, cardboard goes in the mixed recycling blue bin where it can become contaminated by other materials, such as glass, which reduces its quality for selling on.
Stafford Borough Council will be sending letters out to residents next week to explain the change which is already used widely throughout neighbouring Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin.
The blue bin will still be used for tins, plastics and glass with a comprehensive list of what can and cannot be recycled available on the council’s website and which will be sent out to homes in the borough along with new recycling and waste collection calendar.
Councillor Jonathan Price, the Cabinet Member for Environment at the Borough Council, said residents increasingly questioned where recycling ended up after it was thrown out.
“The focus is now on the quality of recycling and with the introduction of the blue bag we will give our residents confidence in what happens with the materials we collect from the kerbside.”
The bags will be delivered to around 59,000 homes from the middle of March and will be collected on the normal blue bin day – with the move expected to save council taxpayers around £130,000 a year.
Cllr Price continued:
“Introducing the blue bag will have a positive impact on what we recycle and, importantly, it will ensure it will stay in the UK for processing.”
Approximately 52% is recycled from the household waste collection in the borough.
You can find out more from staffordbc.gov.uk/bluebag
