In a bid to boost recycling in Manchester, the city council has agreed to introduce “slim bins” for household waste.
The authority looks to save £2.4 million every year after replacing the 240-litre black bins with the more environmentally friendly 140-litre substitutes.
Although the bins will be provided by the council for free, they shall not be available to apartment buildings that have communal bin and recycling facilities.
It is expected that the rollout of the bins shall begin in August, with the operation taking until October to be completed.
Executive member for neighbourhoods, Councillor Nigel Murphy said:
When recyclable waste is not recycled in the bins provided, it harms the environment and also means that money is effectively being thrown away.
“It’s vitally important that we take action now to boost the city’s recycling rates. Doing nothing is not an option and the savings of £2.4m per year made will help us to protect other council services that residents care about, such as road maintenance, leisure centres and play facilities for children.”
Residents should soon expect a letter, explaining when their bins shall be replaced and also what kind of materials can be placed within blue, green, and brown recycling bins.
In other news, the nearby town of Hartlepool is ceasing the use of blue bins for the purpose of recycling glass.
Households are now to dispose of all recyclable materials into standard grey bins. Councillor Marjorie James said that the change “aims to create a simpler system that is easier to use”.
Grey bins within the town should only be used to recycle plastic containers and bottles, metal tins, cans, paper and cardboard.
Residents are being urged to follow simple guidelines to ensure that grey bins are not contaminated with non-recyclable items such as takeaway pizza boxes and other greasy containers.
