Waste Collection Commitment
Aylesbury Vale District Council has signed up to Waste Collection Commitment, which has been developed by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), following comprehensive market research into what constitutes a good refuse and recycling service.
This new national voluntary code of practice aims to help local authorities to provide the best possible waste and recycling services to local residents. The key themes emerging from WRAP's research were developed into a set of ten principles that define good collection services.
Having signed up to the commitment, Aylesbury Vale District Council has now agreed to abide by these ten principles, which are:
1. We will explain clearly what services you can expect to receive.
Information about the materials we can and cannot currently recycle in the baskets and boxes can be found here. Our website is full of other useful information, including your yearly waste collection calendar, how to book a bulky waste collection, or how to buy additional recycling containers or garden sacks.
2. We will provide regular collections.
We will provide regular collections of both general refuse and recycling, the details of which can be found on our website. During bad weather (eg snow) we will always try to collect your waste, while taking into account the health and safety of our crews and the general public.
3. We will provide a reliable collection service.
We have reduced the number of missed collections and, in cases where we have not been able to finish a collection round on the right day, we will always send collectors the following day.
4. We will consider any special requests that individual households may have.
We understand that not everyone is able to move the bins and recycling containers to the edge of their property for collection. So that’s why we can provide an assisted collection for elderly or disabled people. If you have a family of more than 5 people, we can provide you with a larger refuse bin, in place of the standard one. Please discuss your requirements with one of our customer services team on 01296 585510.
5. We will design our services and carry out collections in a way that doesn’t produce litter.
It is inevitable that during our day-to-day operation some litter will be dropped, however our crews will always sweep up any litter they have made after they have been.
6. We will collect as many materials for recycling as we can and explain what happens to them.
We can currently recycle all your paper, food and drinks cans, glass bottles and jars and plastic bottles, tubs, pots and trays. There are also some cardboard recycling facilities at the popular mini-recycling sites throughout the district. The materials we collect are sent to different reprocessors throughout the UK to be turned back into useful items again.
- Paper is currently sent to Aylesford, Kent
- Glass is sent to Recressco in Southampton and Elsmere
- Plastics and cans are sent to Community Waste in Milton Keynes for further sorting, where they are then sold onto to other UK reprocessors.
7. We will explain clearly what our service rules are and the reasons for them.
We try to make the service as simple to understand as possible. But there are some rules to help the service run smoothly.
- We ask you to place your refuse and recycling containers at the collection point by 6.30am. This is usually at the edge of your property. This ensures that your collection is not missed when our crews pass your property first thing in the morning.
- Please do not over-fill the glass box. The box should be a level load to ensure that it is not too heavy for the crew to lift or clip to the side of the vehicle for sorting.
- Please do not put materials we cannot recycle into your recycling containers. Please check here for details on what can be recycled. If items that we cannot recycle are put into the basket, our materials reprocessor may reject the whole recycling load. When possible, we will remove wrong materials and leave a card to let you know why we haven’t emptied all of your recycling boxes.
8. We will tell you in good time if we have to make changes to your services, even temporarily.
Important changes to your collection will always be publicised on our website. We also publicise any changes in the council magazine, through Parish Councils, with leaflets and in local newspapers and radio stations.
9. We will respond to complaints we receive about our services.
At Aylesbury Vale District Council we have an accredited complaints system that ensures all complaints are dealt with fairly. Visit our customer services pages for more details
10. We will tell you about our commitment to collecting waste.
By signing up to the Waste Collection Commitment, Aylesbury Vale District Council has committed to delivering consistent, value for money, high-quality waste and recycling services that meet the needs of local residents – and shown that the needs of residents are central to the design and delivery of our waste and recycling collection services.
Date Updated: 24/01/11