A new policy document for waste collection and recycling in Liverpool has been agreed as changes to the service start to come into operation.
A managed weekly service, in which purple bins will be collected one week and blue and green bins the next, will come into operation for more than 100,000 households from 28 October.
The mayor’s cabinet has agreed a policy which sets out operational practices and guidance to householders about waste and recycling.
The new policy was drawn up following research into the best practice by those councils which have introduced managed weekly collections. It covers issues such as the frequency of collections for different types of properties, the repair and replacement of bins and associated charges, when bins should be left out for collection and what action is taken when wrong material is put in bins.
“This new policy means that we are operating in a very transparent manner,” said Councillor Steve Munby, cabinet member for living environment and localism. “We are setting out the standards by which our contractor will operate and also making it clear what the responsibilities of householders are.
“It means clear standards are set so everybody knows where they stand about bin collections but we are allowing flexibility for exceptional circumstances – for large families, for people who need help in moving their bins or for those who have to dispose of clinical waste.
“All the policies and standards in the document are aimed at making Liverpool a cleaner and greener city. As well as cutting costs the new collection system will help us increase recycling. As the document says ‘Collecting rubbish and recycling alternatively encourages people to think about the amount of rubbish they throw away and to separate materials for recalling.”
The new policy document is available at http://www.liverpool.gov.uk
