New Recycling Service starts on November 5

6.51.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 25th Oct 2007

November 5 is the start day in for the council's new doorstep plastic bottle and cardboard recycling service with same day collection for all refuse and recycling materials. The key points are:

• You will have your recycling and waste collected on the same day.

• You will be able to recycle plastic bottles [but not other plastic products*] and flattened cardboard from home - via the kerbside collection service.

• You will be given a free canvas bag to store your extra recycling in.

• Your recycling and waste will be collected at different times of the day by separate vehicles.

Richmond Council's Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Martin Elengorn, said: "This scheme promises to be one of the most comprehensive, source-separated, kerbside waste and recycling collection services in the UK."

Flats: blocks with 8 or fewer flats will continue to use the normal kerbside recycling collection scheme, so the changes to waste and recycling collections from 5th November will apply to you; however, if you live in a block of flats with over 8 flats or have communal recycling bins on site the November changes to collections will not apply to you. Some flats across the borough already have bins on-site to recycle plastic bottles and cardboard. If you have room for additional recycling bins and would like to start recycling these materials or join the flats recycling scheme, please contact recycling@richmond.gov.uk or 08456 122 660.

Though Richmond is already top of the league in recycling rates in London, further increases are planned towards 40 % over the next two years. Literature has been distributed and Waste Advisors are touring the Borough to help with queries. It is hoped any teething problems will be kept to a minimum but if you have any problems please contact: 08456 122660 or visit tinyurl.com/2c69ok .

• Reasons:

• Yoghurt pots and other plastic containers are often made from different types of plastic to those used in plastic bottle manufacture. Many are made from polystyrene or a blend of different polymer types, of which there are over 50. These have a very different composition to plastic used for bottles, which makes recycling difficult.

• Applications and market demand for mixed plastics are currently limited.

• The present re-processors engaged to recycle the borough's plastic bottles are unable to accept mixed plastics. If other plastic items enter this recycling stream the entire load will be rejected by the recycler and have to be disposed of at landfill wasting valuable resources.

• It is very expensive to sort mixed plastics, which limits the income from selling these materials. The income is re-invested back into the service to help fund collection. Councils are able to provide a cost effective service by focusing on plastic bottles only.

• There are secure markets for recycling plastic bottles in the UK and Europe. Reprocessing mixed plastics often involves long distance transport to countries such as China. As a Council we are trying to minimise our transport costs and carbon footprint.