Confusion with New Recycling System

12.00.00am GMT Mon 30th Nov 2009

New recycling system causes confusion 'that was easily avoidable'.

The first week of the new 'twin sack' recycling system is causing confusion across the County say County Councillors.

In the past fortnight, Monmouthshire County Council has been rolling out the controversial 'twin sack' scheme, delivering rolls of different coloured sacks with information leaflets.

Michael German. Local Assembly Member said that his office had also been received a steady number of calls, daily, adding that enquiries were being received on a 'wide range' of issues to do with the new twin-sack system: "People are also seeking advice on exactly when the black box collection will finish and the new system will start in their street. Information is not clear and this will inevitably lead to a lot of problems that could have avoided."

The new twin-sack system was designed to separate paper from glass, to prevent paper being rejected for recycling if contaminated by broken glass. However instructions printed on purple sacks being delivered across the County are advising residents to put paper in the same sack as glass.

"We've been swapped with calls from across the County", said Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader Phil Hobson, "as people are reporting that the leaflets say one thing the sacks say the opposite. People are left not knowing what to do. This is a terrible start to a system we said was flawed."

"We're telling people to follow the instruction s on the leaflet. If paper is in the same sack as glass then there's a real danger their recycling will be rejected and it ends up in landfill. People didn't face this danger with the black box scheme."

Another source of confusion is the range of materials that can be collected. Aluminium foil, clothes, shoes and Tetra Paks will on longer be accepted for collection in the new system with advice issued from the County Council to 'recycle at one of our recycling sites'.

Cllr. Hobson said that the "information is not clear enough; at least the Council should have listed where items can be recycled rather than leaving people in the dark".

He added that his main fear after residents' enquiries was that "there seems to be a 'well, this is getting too hard, I'll just bin it' response which is exactly the opposite outcome of this new twin-sack scheme we were promised".

The Liberal Democrat leader added that he was writing to the Cabinet Member for Recycling, Eric Saxon to request that he urgently reviews the information that the Council had sent out and issue clearer advice: "People want to do their bit. They're finding that the new scheme is leaving them with a lot of questions and left with confusion. I hope now the Council will redouble its efforts and get out new information that is clear and in a format that encourages people to do their bit."