Waste and Recycling - FAQ

 

• When should I put my bin out for emptying?
• What can I put in my bin?
• I am having difficulty moving my wheeled bin, is there any help available?
• If I can't put garden waste in my bin, how can I dispose of it?
• What if I can't fit all my waste in my bin?
• What should I do if my refuse or recycyling collection is missed?
• Will the Council supply me with purple sacks?
• Can you give me any advice or information on recycling?
• How can I get rid of unwanted furniture and other large items?
• Where are the Civic Amenity Sites and when are they open?
• How can I arrange a 'special' collection?
• What about smells, flies and maggots?
• I am having difficulty moving my black box, is there any alternative?
• Where can I put my box if I haven't got space in my home to store the box?
• We have a baby in disposable nappies - I won't have enough room in my wheeled bin for these.
• Why can't you collect other types of plastic?

When should I put my bin out for emptying?

You should place your wheeled bin at the front of your property by 7.30am on your normal day of collection. Click here to find out your normal day of collection.

What can I put in my bin?

Most general household waste can be placed in your wheeled bin. However, there are a number of items that shouldn't be placed in it:

• Garden waste
• Hot ashes - wait until they have cooled
• Soil, stones, rubble or car parts
• Other heavy items - if you bin is too heavy it cannot be emptied.
• Paper/card, plastic bottles, cans, tins and glass jars and bottles - these items can be recycled and should be placed in your blue bag and black box. If you do not have a blue bag and black box but would like one please call 01303 858660 or Contact us via the web

If I can't put garden waste in my bin, how can I dispose of it?

Garden waste must not be put in your wheeled bin because organic waste sent to landfill sites produces methane, a powerful gas which is harmful to the environment.

There are a number of ways of dealing with garden waste. You can:

1. Invest in a compost bin - this will save you money, help protect the environment and provide you with soil-enriching compost.
2. Take your garden waste to the Civic Amenity Site at Shorncliffe, Ross Way, Folkestone
3. Buy Shepway District Council green sacks from the Civic Centre or any of the district offices - these can be placed out and collected on the same day as your domestic refuse

4. Due to the success of this scheme, the vehicles used for the collection are running at full capactity, so we are currently unable to add any additional garden bins to the scheme.

What if I can't fit all my waste in my bin?

The standard wheeled bins used within the District have a capacity of 180 litres - twice that of a conventional dustbin. The recyclable material we will be collecting every week also accounts for about 70% in volume of your waste. If you use the box and the bag for the recyclable material you should have enough room in your wheeled bin.

For most households, the bin should be adequate to hold fortnightly refuse and only the contents of your bin will be removed. If you leave additional sacks alongside your bin, these will not be taken and you will have to make separate arrangements to dispose of them.

If you are a large family, the Council will supply a second bin free of charge. If this is the case, please write to Customer Services, including details of the names, ages and dates of birth of those people living at the address. Households who don't meet the criteria may only have one wheeled bin.

If you require an additional wheeled bin for medical reasons, please ask a district nurse or other medical professional to write to us confirming this.

To apply for a second wheeled bin, please Contact us here

01303 858660
01303 853382

Or write to:

Customer Services
Shepway District Council
Civic Centre
Castle Hill Avenue
Folkestone, CT20 2QY

Subject to your request being approved, the bin will be delivered within 7 - 10 days of receipt.

 

What should I do if my refuse or recycling collection is missed?

If the collection of your refuse or waste paper/cardboard is missed, please let us know either on your normal collection day or the next following working day. We will then arrange for the contractors to return and collect it within 24 hours.

01303 858660

01303 853382

Missed Refuse Collection Form

Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm

Will the Council supply me with purple sacks?

The Council will only continue to supply and deliver purple sacks to those homes which have been assessed as unsuitable for wheeled bins.

Can you give me any advice or information on recycling?

In addition to the kerbside collection scheme the Council is involved in a number of other recycling initiatives and can give lots of useful information on how you can do your bit to help protect the environment by reducing your waste and recycling.

For further information on Recycling, Recycling Info.

How can I get rid of unwanted furniture and other large items?

There are a number of ways to do this. You could:

1. Contact charitable organisations which may take the items for re-use if they are in a reasonable condition
2. Take the items to one of the civic amenity sites for disposal. More information on amenity sites is available here
3. Arrange a special collection with the Council (there is a charge for this service).
4. Contact private companies to arrange removal (they will make a charge for this).

Where are the Civic Amenity Sites and when are they open ?

Kent County Council is the waste disposal authority and is responsible for the civic amenity sites in the county.

Details of sites and their opening times are available from here

What about smells, flies and maggots?

Potentially smelly waste such as cooked food and nappies should be double wrapped before placing in the the wheeled bin.

Flies will only lay eggs onto food if it is left out unprotected. Double wrapping such food waste, taking particular care of left over pet food, will ensure you don't have a problem with flies.

A recent study carried out by DEFRA suggests that there are no adverse health risks as a result of alternate weekly collections.

I am having difficulty moving my black box, is there any alternative?

We have available reuseable bags which we feel will be easy to to lift and handle. Please let us know if this would be more suitable for you.

01303 858660
01303 853382

To report online please use the following form:

Environment and Street Scene General Enquiries

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm

Or write to:

Customer Services
Shepway District Council
Civic Centre
Castle Hill Avenue
Folkestone, CT20 2QY

Where can I put my box if I haven't got space in my home to store the box?

The original boxes were supplied with a lid for storage outside.

For a small number of residents where storage is an issue, we have reuseable bags instead of the box (please see above).

We have a baby in disposable nappies - I won't have enough room in my wheeled bin for these.

As long as you use the box and bag for the recyclable materials freeing up space, you should have enough room in your bin.

If you are still having difficulties and have a large family, please call us on 01303 858660 and an officer will visit with you and look at other ways we may be able to help.

Why can't you collect other types of plastic?

At the moment plastic bottles are easy to recycle. Other plastics are more problematic and expensive to recycle. Although at present we are not collecting items such as yoghurt pots, we are constantly reviewing the service and hope to introduce more materials at a later date.