Recycling
On average only around 9% of household waste is recycled in the UK at the
moment. Tandridge residents however, have one of the highest levels in Britain,
recycling around 21% of their household waste.
However, it is estimated that we could be achieving over 60% if everyone took
part. This means that eleven thousand tonnes of glass, paper, cans and other
recyclables still end up in the dustbin every year in Tandridge alone. This
increases the need for local waste disposal facilities such as landfill sites
and incinerators. It is also of course a waste of valuable materials. How
to start recycling.
Green Box Scheme
The Green Box Scheme is
the easiest way for Tandridge residents to recycle their paper & cardboard
(including newspapers, magazines, catalogues, junk mail, envelopes, drinks
cartons, cereal boxes etc.) AND now plastic drinks bottles too
Simply place your paper in the Green Box and put it at the edge of your property
nearest the road (by 7am) every week on your recycling day (call or email
to find out your day, details below). If you don't have a Green Box, we can
provide you with one (free of charge).
Last year, residents recycled over 3300 tonnes of paper and cardboard using
their Green Boxes, but we estimate that 40% of residents are still not taking
part.
We need as many people as possible to use the service, that way we will be
saving a valuable material, benefitting the environment and saving money too.
Are you using yours?
To find out your Green Box collection day, to order a Green Box, or if you
are unsure where to place the materials or you think the collectors have missed
your box email the Recycling Officer at Amenityservices@tandridgedc.gov.uk
Please remember: to prevent litter, weigh your paper down (eg with a brick).
It does not matter if the paper gets wet.
Recycling Banks
Wherever you live in Tandridge you shouldn't be far from our recycling banks.
Nutfield Memorial Hall, High Street and the Garages, Mid Street (opposite Dickenson
House). The Textile
bank is at the front of Nutfield Village Hall, Mid Street.
Glass banks - glass bottles and
jars only (No china, crockery, Pyrex, cookware or sheet glass please)
Cardboard banks - all paper & cardboard
including drinks cartons and phone directories.
Paper banks (Aylesford) - newspapers,
magazines, catalogues and other white paper only
Can banks - aluminium and steel
cans.
Textile banks - all clean, bagged
material, clothes or pairs of shoes (excluding carpets)
Foil banks - all clean, tin or
aluminium cooking foil (not plastic foil please)
Please help us by:
Only using the banks between 8am & 8pm to reduce disturbance to nearby residents.
Not leaving any material on the ground. Colour separating all glass.
Recycling - What Happens To It?
Ever wondered what happens to the paper, glass and other materials you recycle?
Glass
Over 1000 tonnes of your glass is taken each year to a processing site in
Kent where it is crushed and any corks, metal lids etc are removed. It is
then taken to the glass manufacturers to be melted down to make more glass
bottles and jars. Some of our green glass is also being used as an alternative
material in road building!
Newspapers & Magazines (from recycling
banks)
Your newspapers & magazines are taken directly to Aylesford
Newsprint paper mill in Aylesford Kent. Here it is turned back into newsprint
ready for newspapers to use again.
Cardboard and Mixed Paper
Nearly 4000 tonnes of your cardboard and mixed paper ends up in the Green
Box and recycling banks every year. Kent is again the destination, namely
the St Regis Paper Mill in Kemsley where they, not surprisingly, produce cardboard
boxes.
Food & Drink Cans
The London Borough of Sutton operates a large materials recycling facility
(MRF) in partnership with the private sector. They separate the aluminium
cans from the steel cans on a conveyor belt using magnets. The separated cans
are then taken to be melted down and made into anything from paper clips to
steel girders used in the construction industry.
Textiles, Old Clothes, Shoes
The charity SCOPE looks after our clothes
banks in Tandridge. They collect and distribute all the unwanted clothes to
charity shops throughout the South East for resale, raising valuable income
to help the charity's work with people with cerebral palsy. Any clothes that
are not able to be resold are either used as industrial rags or as fibre for
sound proofing requirements.
For a list of recycling sites please call 01883 732949 or e-mail: Amenityservices@tandridgedc.gov.uk
Waste Disposal
All household waste collected in Tandridge, (including street sweepings and
most flytipped waste) is landfilled at Pattison Court landfill site near Redhill,
Surrey.
Last year approximately 23,000 tonnes of rubbish collected from the district's
32,000 homes was disposed of in this way. A further 6,000 tonnes of "waste"
was saved from landfill by being recycled.
Tandridge District Council has been working with residents for many years
to try to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill from homes in the district.
Whilst we have achieved excellent results compared to the country as a whole,
there is still an enormous task required to meet Government targets for 2003/4
and beyond.
We are therefore continuing to look at new ways to reduce the waste collected
and recycle more of that which is collected.
Garden Waste
The Council does not collect Garden Waste as part of the weekly refuse collection
service, but there are a number of other ways to deal with it.
Home Composting
Why compost? Composting is nature's way of recycling by returning
goodness back to the soil. Compost is the finished product - a rich, dark
substance which improves soil and grows stronger, healthier plants. Good compost
can be made from a wide range of organic materials, for example garden waste
(such as dried leaves) and vegetable food waste (such as peelings).
Composting can save you money The majority of household rubbish
is buried in landfill, an expensive method of disposal. In the UK nearly one
third of all household rubbish is organic rubbish, from the kitchen or garden.
This is biodegradable material, meaning it can be broken down (or degraded)
by living creatures (biologically). By putting kitchen and garden rubbish
into a compost bin you can dramatically reduce the amount going to landfill,
saving you money in the long-term by providing you with:
• A rich soil additive
• You need make fewer trips to the dump with garden waste.
• You'll be doing your bit!
• You will be helping to preserve your local surroundings, the environment
and it's precious resources.
TDC have just teamed up with Straight Recycling Systems to provide Tandridge
Residents with compost bins at the lowest ever price! So do your garden a
favour and cut down on those trips to the tip and get a composter delivered
from only £12.95!
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Call 0845 1 30 60 90 or buy online at Straight |
Garden Waste Sacks
Our refuse contractor, Biffa Waste Services, is not required to collect garden
waste unless it is presented in pre-paid sacks. These are available from Biffa
Waste Services Ltd on 01342 837246 at the price of £19.39 for 25 bags. Unfortunately,
the garden waste collected in this way is not able to be composted and is
therefore disposed of in landfill.
Nappies
In Britain 4% of all waste sent to landfill is nappy waste (nappies and sewage).
That's over 880 tonnes a year from Tandridge residents alone going to be buried
in the landfill site between Redhill and Nutfield.
Not only is this expensive, costing around £70,000 to collect and dispose
of, but the environmental effects of burying so much raw sewage and nappy
chemicals may become a very serious issue for the children currently in nappies
when they grow up.
Is there an alternative? Yes! Cloth Nappies
If you still think of cloth nappies as being terry squares, pins and sweaty
plastic pants, think again! Modern washable nappies come in a range of styles
and sizes, and are easy to use and wash. If you choose to wash your own nappies,
you can expect to save around £600 per child and dramatically reduce the amount
of rubbish your household produces.
If you don't want to wash your own nappies, then you can use a nappy laundry
service. Once a week, they will provide you with soft, fresh, thermally sterilised
nappies at no more expense than using the leading brand of disposables, and
take away the dirty ones! While the council can not recommend or vouch for
a specific company, the following companies can provide you with further information
on either laundry services or washing your own cloth nappies. Click on the
logos below to go to their sites.
Services operating in this area:
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Operates a laundry service and supplies nappies and accessories | |
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Suppliers of nappies and accessories |
Abandoned Vehicles
The abandoned vehicles dumped in Tandridge (of which there are over 500 every
year!) are a significant problem. They can be dangerous (especially if burnt
out), an eyesore, cause pollution, not to mention a nuisance. It is also an
offence to abandon a vehicle and this may result in a fine of up to £2500
upon summary conviction, plus the costs of the removal, disposal and any storage
of the vehicle.
How do I report an abandoned vehicle?
If you suspect that a vehicle has been abandoned because of it's condition
or appearance and/or the fact that it has not been moved for some weeks, please
check if the vehicle has a valid tax disc. If it does then we are unlikely
to be able to treat it as abandoned. If no valid tax disc is displayed then
call Tandridge Community Services on 01883 713002. Please try to give as much
detail of the vehicle as possible, registration number, make, model and colour.
How can I get rid of my old car?
If you have an old car you need to get rid of, the Council has a scheme that
can help and it will only cost you £25 (about half the price of going direct
to a car breaker).
The scheme is designed to prevent cars being abandoned in the District and
has successfully removed over 750 old bangers in less than a year.
To have a vehicle removed under the scheme, you must be the legal owner with
your name and address shown on the vehicles V5 (registration document) and
be resident in the district. The scheme is limited to a maximum of two cars
per household per year.
All you have to do is call Angela Sharkie on the number below to make an appointment.
Then bring in your vehicles V5 (registration document) and some identification,
such as a household bill, plus the vehicle keys, to the Council Offices, Oxted.
We will ask you to sign a form confirming you want us to dispose of the vehicle.
We will then arrange for our contractor to call and take the vehicle away
for you. All the vehicles removed by Tandridge are taken to an approved vehicle
dismantlers, where they are depolluted and recycled.
Full details of all removed/scrapped vehicles are passed to DVLA and the Police.
For further details of this scheme (but not to report a dumped car) please
call Angela Sharkie on 01883 732998
For further information on your recycling or waste issues please telephone:
Rob Luck on 01883 732951 at Tandridge District Council.
