Somerset residents will be able to recycle more waste materials – including plastic tubs, TetraPak cartons, batteries and small electrical items – from 2020 but the local roll-out in Wellington will not be coming to the town until 2021.
The Somerset Waste Partnership’s (SWP) ‘Recycle More’ programme is being introduced in June 2020 and will continue in five phases until 2022. Wellington is listed in Phase 3 which includes South Somerset and Somerset West and Taunton – central and eastern parts). Mendip residents will the first to experience the new collections and those living in rural locations such as Exmoor will be the last. The scheme includes the current kerbside recycling collections but, in addition, all residents will be supplied with a 60 litre “reusable sack” to store their recycling.
Once Recycle More has been rolled out, refuse collections – the large black bins for general rubbish – will be reduced from once a fortnight to once every three weeks.
Garden waste and clinical waste collections will remain unchanged, as will collections from flats though some extra materials may be collected.
The new scheme will lead to Taunton becoming a major hub for processing recyclable materials.
For a full breakdown of what can be recycled under Recycle More, visit www.somersetwaste.gov.uk.