The Tri-Cycle Scheme is a kerbside recycling service provided to households within the borough.  It makes recycling more convenient and accessible and allows households to recycle a range of mixed dry recyclables and compostable garden waste.

 

Households will have either a Bryson House Recycling Black 'Kerbie' Box or Blue Bin for their mixed dry recyclables and a Brown Bin for their compostable garden waste.  Households on the Scheme will have their Bryson House Black 'Kerbie' Box emptied weekly.  However, the Blue and Brown bins will be emptied on the same day every other week with the grey/black landfill bin being emptied in between.

 

         

The Council has introduced the Tri-Cycle Scheme to make recycling more convenient and accessible for its ratepayers and to divert waste away from landfill, so as to meet the statutory waste diversion targets laid down by the European Union and Central Government.  The Council has no choice.  It must modernise its waste management practices and find sustainable alternatives.  If the Council did not introduce the Tri-Cycle Scheme it would not meet its waste diversion targets.  If these targets are not achieved, the Council will face the prospect of substantial punitive fines that will have to be paid for by its ratepayers.  This proposition is unacceptable.

 

The suggestions that services have been diluted and the Scheme is a cost saving exercise are misguided.  Every Council in Northern Ireland is faced with the same challenges and choices and is having to review how it manages its waste.

 

 

     

Phases 1 & 2 were completed in the summer of 2004 and resulted in approximately 15,500 households going onto the Bryson House 'Kerbie' Box.

Phase 3 commenced in the summer of 2005 and resulted in approximately 12,000 households going onto the Blue Bin.

Please see the following for details: 

http://www.castlereagh.gov.uk/portal/alias__Rainbow/lang__en-US/tabID__3442/DesktopDefault.aspx

If you have any further questions please contact Technical and Environmental Services on 02890 494600.

 

Provided households make full use of their Bryson House Black 'Kerbie Box', Blue Bin and Brown Bin, they should be able to cope with a fortnightly collection of the grey/black landfill bin.  However, households should also make full use of their nearest Household Recycling Centre (HRC) for recycling of those wastes that may not be collected by the kerbside service or for disposing of excessive amounts of household waste that may arise from time-to-time. 

 

An approximate breakdown of the content of a household wheeled bin is given below:

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Households with additional waste can use either of the Council’s Household Recycling Centres, situated at Cregagh Road and Comber Road, Carryduff, to recycle or dispose of their excess waste.

 

The Council also provides a chargeable, kerbside, Special Collection Service for excess waste or bulky items that cannot be disposed of through the normal bin service.

 

Staff from the Technical & Environmental Services will also audit your waste and provide you with further advice/guidance on managing your waste.

 

It is currently Council policy to allow households to purchase an additional grey/black bin that will be emptied on your normal collection day.  However, from an environmental perspective this is the least preferred option and would be seen as undermining the concept of waste minimisation.  Households should contact the Technical & Environmental Services Department for advice/guidance before acquiring an additional bin.

 

 

No.  Plastic bags are seen as contaminants and should not be used.  They cause problems at both the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and Composting Facility and can result in complete lorry loads being rejected.

 

         

It is important that contamination levels are kept to an absolute minimum. Only specified items should be included in your Bryson House Black 'Kerbie' Box and Blue and Brown Bins. If you are unsure of what can go into your bins/boxes, please contact the Technical & Environmental Services Department on 028 90494600.

 

In cases where contamination is identified, it is the responsibility of the householder to empty their contaminated bin. Bins can be taken to  either of the Council’s Household Recycling Centres, at Cregagh Road, Castlereagh, or Comber Road, Carryduff.  Alternatively, incorrect materials can be removed from the bin and it can be presented again for collection on the next scheduled collection.

     

Basically, because you created the waste in the first place and if the Council is to meet its waste diversion targets, everyone must play their part.  The Council cannot do this on its own.  It needs its ratepayers full support and commitment.  

 

The more households that participate and recycle their wastes, the greater the Council's chances are of meeting the targets and avoiding fines. 

 

It is therefore in everyone's interest that they participate fully and embrace new waste management practices.

 

 

No. Other Councils are also operating kerbside collection services on an alternate week basis. However, Castlereagh Borough Council was one of the first Councils to take a lead role.  Please consult individual council websites for further information.

 

         

Alternate week collection of the Grey/Black Bin is not unique to Castlereagh Borough Council, as the majority of NI Councils are now operating similar collection arrangements.  There are also some 80 authorities in Great Britain that are also operating alternate week collection arrangements.

 

Although the frequency of collection of the Grey/Black Bin has been reduced, this has been supplemented with a collection of the Blue Bin, Brown Bin and Black ‘Kerbie’ Box. This should allow you to divert around 50% of the waste in your Grey/Black Bin, making a fortnightly collection possible. However, you should also make full use of the Council’s Household Recycling Centres to recycle those wastes that are not currently collected by the Tri-Cycle Scheme and to dispose of any excess waste. 

 

The Council has also carried out three reviews of the Scheme. So far, a majority of those households surveyed have agreed that the alternate weekly collection of the Grey/Black Bin has encouraged them to recycle more!  This is a strong indication that the alternate week collection of the Grey/Black Bin is a major driver for changing attitudes and getting householders to recycle their waste.   This is what we must do if we are to meet the challenges that face us!

 

Services have not been withdrawn or diluted but modernised in response to new challenges.  Whilst the Council is required to provide a waste collection service, the Council has discretion as to the level and type of service it provides.

 

     

The possible health implications of kitchen food waste, and nappies, remaining in the Grey/Black Bin for a two week period has been raised by some householders.

 

Following consultation with the Council’s Environmental Health Service, and from a waste management perspective, provided the waste is contained within the bin and the lid kept shut, there is unlikely to be any health related implications for the householder.  The bin is a sealed unit and has been specifically designed to safely contain various waste types, preventing any likely discharge whilst minimising odours.  Odour, however, will be directly linked to what is contained within the bin.

 

Householders can take steps to minimise the likelihood of odours, such as keeping the waste in plastic bags or wrapped in paper/newspapers, etc, before being placed into the bin.  Bins could also be washed out on a regular basis to ensure that all loose debris is removed from the bin.  This will again minimise odour.   Ultimately, the condition of any bin will be dependent upon the way in which it is managed.

 

The Council’s Environmental Health Service will also provide further advice/guidance to householders on a case-by-case basis.

 

Householders should also make full use of Household Recycling Centres to recycle or dispose of any excess waste that they might have.  If, for whatever reason, a householder does not wish to put a certain type of waste into their bin, they have the option of using a Household Recycling Centre to dispose of it.

 

Alternate week collection of the Grey/Black Bin is not unique to Castlereagh Borough Council, as the majority of NI Councils are now operating similar collection arrangements.  There are also some 80 authorities in Great Britain that are also operating alternate week collection arrangements.

 

We are unaware as to any studies, scientific or other, having been carried out into food waste remaining in a bin for a two week period.   If this were a key issue of widespread concern it would be conceivable that such a study would have been carried out and its findings published.

 

 

Bryson House currently issue replacement boxes, lids and additional boxes to households when requested.  Please contact Bryson House on 028 90848494.

 

Please refer to your calendar for specific collection arrangements or contact Technical & Environmental Services Department at 028 90 494600.

 

 

If you feel you have no need for a Brown Bin, please phone Technical and Environmental Services on 028 90494600 and arrange to have it removed.  However, we hope to be in a position to collect kitchen and vegetable waste in the Brown Bin in the near future.

 

Please note you will be informed of any changes.

 

 

The Council must make considerable reductions in the amount of waste being sent to landfill.   The collection of extra bags only serves to undermine our endeavours to achieve this goal and meet the waste diversion targets.

 

It is also the case that the Council cannot differentiate between households.  If we collect bags from one household we must provide the same service to every household within the borough.  

 

The Council must encourage householders to not only Re-use and Recycle their waste but also Reduce the amount of waste they generate in the first place.  Collecting additional refuse sacks is counter-productive to this aim. 

 

Households can dispose of any excess waste at one of the Council's Household Recycling Centres.

 

From a health & safety perspective, we are also trying to minimise the number of occasions loose bags are collected during the provision of the wheeled bin, household refuse collection service.

     

Additional refuse sacks will only be removed if the collection falls on a public holiday and no alternative collection has been provided.  On such occasions, up to 4 extra sacks of household waste only (excludes garden waste) will be removed on the next normal Grey/Black Bin collection.

 

There may also be other unforeseen or exceptional circumstances, such as snow or ice, when service cannot be provided.  In such cases extra bags may be removed.

 

         

No envelopes, hardback books, cellophane, plastic (other than plastic bottles), wrapping paper, tissues, nappies, glass, garden or kitchen waste, oil, textiles, crisp bags, juice cartons/tetra packs (as they have a special wax/plastic coating), electrical goods, Christmas cards with glitter,fabric,electronic devices (plain Christmas cards allowed) etc

 

No. All items should be placed loose in the Blue Bin.  Bin Liners must also not be used.

         

One bin can contaminate the entire load which can be rejected at the MRF or Composting Facility.  To minimise the likelihood of this happening, Refuse Collection Operatives will carry out visual inspections of bins to ensure they do not  contain the wrong materials.  Bins identified as contaminated will have contamination tape placed over the bin lid and a card will be attached explaining why the bin has been rejected.   Contaminants can be removed and the bin emptied on the next normal collection day.  Alternatively, the householder can bring their bin to their nearest Household Recycling Centre where they can either recycle or dispose of its contents.

 

 

 

Contact the Helpline on Freephone 0800 0130897. You can arrange for one of our Officers to call out, check your bin and explain the system in more detail, or simply talk to someone on our Helpline.

 

 

If you are physically unable to wheel your bin to the footpath, the Council can do it on your behalf, providing you submit a note from your doctor.  Please contact Technical and Environmental Services on 028 90494600 to arrange a pull-out of your bin.

 

Anyone who currently has a pull out for their Grey/Black Bin will automatically get a pull out for their Blue Bin/Brown Bins Bin or Black ‘Kerbie’ Box.

 

Bryson House also offer assisted lifts for the Black ‘Kerbie’ Box and they should be contacted directly by the caller to arrange this on either 028 90 848494 or Freephone 0800 169 1287.

     

The Council can provide smaller bins (120/140 litre), however, there is a limited stock of these bins.  Householders should continue using their normal bin until the replacement bin arrives.  Please contact the Technical & Environmental Services Department.

 

 

Currently the Council's policy is that anyone wishing to purchase an additional Grey/Black Bin can do so by contacting the Technical & Environmental Services Department.  However, this is considered counterproductive to the aim of waste minimisation.  We would therefore ask householders to make full use of their nearest Household Recycling Centre or contact the Technical & Environmental Services Department, where officers will be available to offer advice/guidance.

 

    If you choose not to participate in the Tri-Cycle Scheme you will still have to manage whilst getting your Grey/Black Bin emptied ever other week.  You will not receive a weekly collection of your waste.  It is therefore in your own interest to participate in the Scheme and fully support your Council in meeting the challenges ahead.

     

Yes, if you would like any further information please contact Alison Curtis on 02890 494627.

    

Services provided by the Council are continually monitored, subject to review and will take account of changing circumstances and developments in the field of waste management and Northern Ireland infrastructure in general.

Some possible developments are:

·        The inclusion of kitchen-sourced household waste in the Brown Bin

·        The inclusion of card in the Bryson House Black ‘Kerbie’ Box

·        A new Household Recycling Centre in the Dundonald area