Look out for your new 2015/16 York waste and recycling calendar

City of York Council is encouraging residents to look out for their new waste and recycling calendar for 2015/16, which will be hitting doormats soon.

New calendar out soon

New calendar out soon

From this week households across the city will start to receive their new calendar which outlines when collections are taking place between November 2015 and October 2016, including collections over the Christmas and New Year period.

The council announced earlier this year that residents are set to benefit from two additional garden waste collections this autumn, at the end of the current collection season, as well as improved recycling collections over Christmas.

This will ensure that the maximum time residents will wait for their recycling collection is three weeks, instead of four weeks. The extra garden waste collections will give residents an opportunity to dispose of autumn green waste before winter sets in.

The new calendars also provide tips and advice on what items can and can’t be recycled including paper/cardboard, glass, plastic bottles, cans/tins and if applicable garden waste.

Cllr Andrew Waller, Executive Member for Environmental Services, said: “We are pleased to be improving recycling collections for residents over Christmas as they have asked us to help them to recycle more of their waste. By working together we can reduce the cost to the council of Landfill Tax and to help us become the Greenest City in the North.  We encourage residents to look out for their new collection calendars which will be hitting doormats soon and to let us know if they have not been received by the end of October.”

Flats, rural properties and also city centre properties serviced by St Nicks recycling team will receive collection information in December. For any queries about the St Nicks recycling service in the city centre please go to http://www.stnicks.org.uk/ or telephone 01904 411821.

Residents are asked to ensure their bins or boxes are presented by 7am on the day of their collection, but no earlier than 7pm the evening before.

Residents can find their additional collection dates on the new calendar and also online.

Look up collections at www.york.gov.uk/refuselookup . Households which have not received their calendar by the end of October can contact the council on 01904 551551 ycc@york.gov.uk for a replacement copy.

Find out more about waste and recycling in York by following @CYCWaste on Twitter or ‘like’ CYCWaste on Facebook.

Free safety training for York primary school children

City of York Council is offering York primary school students’ free pedestrian safety training in partnership with the region wide 95 Alive campaign.

Green cross code“Between April and July 2015 nearly 800 children received this vital pedestrian training and over 300 children have already benefitted from training since the start of the new academic year.”

The pedestrian training is delivered by City of York Road Safety Instructors and teaches children aged from 7 – 9 how to be safer pedestrians. Road Safety Instructors take children out onto roads and show them how the right decision-making and behaviour can really help them to keep safe and is the start of life long learning about road safety.

During the training children are helped to recognise dangers and hazards and identify alternative crossing places, they are also taught about using different crossings correctly. Pupils are taught to use the Green Cross Code, with the key words being Stop Look and Listen. Children are also encouraged to wear something bright when crossing roads particularly on dark mornings and after school.

For more information on road safety visit www.itravelyork.info/journey-planning/road-safety-and-skills/

Cllr Ian Gillies, Executive Member for Transport and Planning, said: “Road safety training with school pupils is an important part of their learning. By teaching pupils to keep safe and negotiate risks on the roads it gives them essential skills that they will continue to use for years to come.

Mixed response to litter clearance requests

The York Council has actioned some requests for litter to be cleared for amenity areas. Chesney’s Field now looks very tidy and workers were out on the A1237 by pass yesterday clearing litter from the hedgerows.

Chesneys Field on good day 1100 8th Oct 2015

Chesney’s field clear of litter

Meanwhile other amenity areas on the west of the City have not fared as well. Bachelor Hill is covered in empty cans while the Cornland’s park has its usual covering of detritus.

bottles, cans and litter Bachelor Hill 1200 8th Oct 2015

Bachelor Hill – still not recovered from authorised environmental dumping and now covered in detritus

Graffiti and worn path spoil entrance to Bachelor Hill

Graffiti and worn path spoil entrance to Bachelor Hill

Askham Lane entrnace to Bachelor Hill overgrown gate broken 1200 8th Oct 2015

Overgrown and damaged entrance to Bachelor Hill from Askham Lane

Detritus and damaged gate at Tennent Road entrance to Bachelor Hill

Detritus and damaged gate at Tennent Road entrance to Bachelor Hill

Recycling rates down in York. Council discusses waste management crisis

Perhaps not before time, the York Council will discuss tonight how to reverse the trend towards lower waste recycling rates in the City.

The proportion of waste recycled dropped each year during the term of office of the last Labour Council. The only glimmer of hope was that the total amount of waste produced in the City has fallen by 15% from its 2006 peak. But that can mainly be put down to changes to the lifestyle habits of the local population.

York is still paying out over £4 million in Landfill Tax each year – money which would be much better spent on sustaining local public services.

The momentum built up over nearly a decade waslost in 2011 when the new Labour Council Leadership scrapped plans to provide a salvage and reuse centre at Harewood Whin. They would later close the Beckfield Lane recycling centre,  introduce charges for second green bin emptying and restrictions on access to the remaining civic amenity recycling centres.

Even those who do use the Hazel Court recycling centre will wonder whether everything possible is being done to maximise the reuse of items. Most electrical goods, for example, are currently dumped into a skip (from a height).

No monthly stats on recycling performance are routinely provided. The table below was obtained using Freedom of Information legislation.

One option would be to revive the idea of reusing and salvaging materials. An investment by the – part City of York Council owned – Yorwaste company in such a facility would send a clear signal that the City is serious about regaining the momentum in its battle to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

Recycling rates