Borough of Poole Domestic Waste Collection Operating Policy

Appendix 1

Borough of Poole
Domestic Waste Collection Operating Policy

Purpose:

This document details the Borough of Poole’s Collection Operating Policies of its Household Waste Collection Services.
This policy fully supports the aims and objectives of the Borough of Poole’s Waste Strategy which are:

increase recycling and reduce waste sent to landfill
provide an effective and efficient waste collection service for the people of Poole

The document aims to support residents’ understanding of the Council’s waste collection arrangements by explaining:

what residents can expect from the services provided
what the Borough of Poole requires residents to do to ensure collections are made in the most efficient way
advise on further services that support the Borough of Poole’s waste collection arrangements
how to stay informed about changes to Council services.

Content

SectionPage No

Bins (sizes & colours)2

Frequency of collections2

Materials collected2 - 5

Bin capacity5

Properties unsuitable for wheeled bins6

Assisted collections6 - 7

Timing and collection location for emptying bins7

Missed bins8

Side waste8 - 9

Overfilled or overweight bins9

Disposal of bulky/large items9

Contaminated bins9

Responsibility and ownership of bins10

Bins (sizes & colours)

Containers
The standard service for individual households includes:

-Refuse (residual waste) 180litreblack bin

-Recycling 240litreblue bin

-Garden waste 240litre green bin – this is a chargeable opt in service available to all residents, who can register as many green bins as they wish.

Note: properties currently managing their waste with a 240ltr blue binand a 140ltblack binwill be expected to retain that arrangement.

Communal properties (flats) will receive an appropriate allocation of larger refuse (black) and recycling (blue) bins to share calculated on the number of properties at the site. Due to variances in layout of communal properties, each will be assessed by the Borough of Poole to agree the collection service to be provided at that location.

There will be a charge for refuse and recycling wheeled bins delivered to new properties. After payment we will agree a convenient day for delivery of the bins.

Frequency of collections

Refuse (black bin) will be collected weekly including bank holidays, with the exception of Christmas Day & Boxing Day when a week closedown applies across the service.

Recycling (blue bin) will be collected fortnightly including bank holidays, with the exception of Christmas Day & Boxing Day when a week closedown applies across the service.

Garden Waste (green bin) will be collected fortnightly between March and November,including bank holidays, to those residents who register for the service.

Materials collected

Refuse (black bin) is for waste that cannot be recycled or composted as part of the standard service. However, some materials cannot be disposed of in the refuse (black bin). Residents should not place the following items in theblack bin.

x Recyclable items accepted in the blue
bins / x Syringes/clinical waste
x Gas canisters / x Broken glass (unless wrapped)
x Hot ashes / x Textiles (these items can be taken to
various bring sites across Poole, or
Poole’s Household Waste Recycling
Centre)
x Liquid paint/oil / x Rubble, soil, gravel (these items can
be taken to Poole’s Household Waste
Recycling Centre)

x Hazardous waste / x Commercial/business waste (these
items should be collected via a
commercial waste contract)
x Electrical items e.g. toasters, kettles, hair dryers (these items can be disposed of
at Poole’s Household Waste Recycling Centre)
x Garden waste (these items can be collected via the garden waste service, home
composted or taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centre)

Recycling(blue bin) should be used to dispose of the following items for recycling.

Paper & Cardboard

Yes please

×No thanks

Newspapers
Magazines - no need to remove staples
Food and drink cartons (multilayered Tetra Packs) such as juice or milk cartons
Foil free wrapping paper
Writing paper
Computer paper
Envelopes including ones with windows
Telephone Directories & Yellow Pages
Catalogues - Argos, Littlewoods
Books - hardbacks and paper backs
Corrugated cardboard from electrical equipment / washing powder boxes
Thin cardboard - cereal packets and tissue boxes
Greetings cards
Junk mail)
Shredded paper
Paper bags
Photographs / ×Wet paper
×Waxed paper and card
×Plastic coated paper / laminated paper
×Paper towels
×Tissues and serviettes
×Polystyrene packaging

Plastics

Yes please / ×No thanks
Any plastic bottles and food containers e.g.
Fizzy drink bottles and squash bottles
Milk bottles
Detergent bottles
Shampoo and shower gel bottles
Yoghurt pots
Margarine tubs
Ice cream containers
Meat trays
Fruit punnets / ×Plant pots
×Plastic garden furniture
×Carrier bags
×Expanded polystyrene
×Plastic films
×Crisp packets and sweet wrappers
×CD cases

Aluminium and steel cans

Yes please / ×No thanks
Aluminium drink cans
Steel drinks cans
Household aerosols - deodorant, hairspray, polish, air freshener
Steel food cans - tomato tins, pet food cans
Steel lids from glass jars/bottles
Large tins - biscuit and sweet tins / ×Industrial aerosols paint, lubricant spray, car spray
×Any other metals
×Electrical appliances
×Aluminium foil and foil trays - these can be taken to one of the foil Recycling Banks

Glass

Yes please / ×No thanks
Any colour (brown, green, clear, blue) glass bottles and jars / ×Ceramics
×Light bulbs
×Window glass
×Mirror glass
×Pyrex
×Vases
×Drinking glasses

Garden waste (green bin)An opt-in chargeable garden waste service is available to all domestic properties in Poole. The fortnightly service operates from March until November and can be used to help with the disposal of:

Yes please / ×No thanks

Grass cuttings
Hedge & shrub clippings
Plants & weeds
Leaves
Twigs
Branches and bark
Cut flowers
Pot plant compost
Cardboard

Any type of plastic
Bin liners
Plastic bags
Plant pots
Food or kitchen waste
Soil, turf, ash or garden chemicals
Invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed or Himalayan Balsam
Stones or rubble
DIY rubbish, timber or sawdust
Animal waste or bedding
Metal or glass

Bin capacity

The standard refuse & recycling waste bins – detailed in point 1 - will provide sufficient capacity for the majority of households provided appropriate use is made of all bin(s) supplied. However in certain medical circumstances, some residents may not have sufficient capacity for the residual waste.

Identified below is the only circumstance where residents can apply for additional capacity:

Medical Conditions
The Borough of Poole recognises that some residents may have additional waste requirements for medical reasons. Where additional refuse (black bin) waste or recycling (blue bin) is generated and the capacity of the standard refuse (black bin) or recycling (blue bin)is not sufficient, householders (or carers on behalf of householders) can apply for additional waste capacity. Borough of Poole officers may assess each application and work with householders and carers to find an appropriate solution.

Where additional capacity is no longer required due to a change in circumstances, e.g. a person is admitted to a nursing home, the Borough of Poole should be informed.

To be considered for additional capacity, householders must apply to the Borough of Poole and may be asked to provide supporting evidence or willing to accept a visit from a Borough of Poole Officer.

In addition extra waste can be disposed of at Poole’s Household Waste Recycling Centre visit or telephone 01202 261700.

Properties unsuitable for wheeled bins

A small number of properties within the Borough may not be suitable to store the bins being provided as standard. If a property meets one or more of the following criteria it will be deemed unsuitable for wheeled bins and bagged collections will apply.

The property is physically incapable of storing wheeled bins anywhere within its boundary.
There is no alternative but to wheel the bins through the property and no alternative access or storage point.
Where the wheeled bin must be brought up or down a series of steps that would present a safety risk or unreasonable difficulty.

If a property meets at least one of the above criteria, the Borough of Poole may provide an annual authorised sack allowance. Only waste presented for collection using authorised sacks will be collected.

Assisted Collections

What is it?

There are people within the community who require an enhanced level of collection service due to a number of conditions either on a permanent or temporary basis. It is essential that provision is made to assist such individuals.

Who can apply?

The Borough of Poole offers an assisted collection service in circumstances where the applicant is genuinely incapacitated either temporarily or permanently,or that has a physical disability which makes it difficult or impossible to present waste and recycling at the kerbside and there is no other able-bodied person living in the same property over 14 years of age.

As part of these arrangements the applicant will have to:

Agree to a permanent suitable alternative collection point i.e. not behind a locked gate and
If requested to do so, provide proof of incapacity (e.g. doctors note) and
Allow access to bins for the collection crew from 6 am onwards

To carry out an assisted collection the collection crew will have to enter private property and the Borough of Poole is not liable for any damage caused, unless our operative can be shown to have acted in an unreasonable manner. The Borough of Poole collection staff are not authorised to enter a resident’s home.

In order to qualify for this service, residents must contact the Borough of Poole. A home visit may be required but the completion of a simple questionnaire would commence the service. The following questions will be asked:

Does the applicant have a permanent disability, illness or condition which has been diagnosed by a GP?
Does the applicant have a temporary physical disability, illness or condition which has been diagnosed by a GP?
Does the applicant have difficulty putting waste out due to age?
Are there any able bodied persons living in the property over 14 years of age?
Are there any other members of the family or neighbours who can assist the applicant?

A regular review of all assisted collection applications will be carried out by the Borough of Poole to ensure that support is still needed. The service may be withdrawn if there is regular and recorded misuse of this system i.e. requesting an assisted collection for a holiday home because you may not be staying at the property on its scheduled collection day does not qualify for the service.

Timings and collection location for emptying bins

Bins must be available by 6 am on your collection day but not before 6 pm on the day before collection,as the Borough of Poole is unable to guarantee what time collection crews will arrive to empty it. The bin(s) are covered by the Council insurance during this period. Bins should be presented with the handle facing towards the road to assist the collection crews.

Bins should not be overloaded, lids must be closed and no extra bags or loose items will be collected (See exceptions in 9).

Bins should be placed on the kerbside at the boundary/edge of the curtilage of the property adjacent to the public road (adopted highway), unless otherwise agreed by Borough of Poole e.g. you have an agreed assisted collection (see section 4). Wheeled bins must be clearly visible (i.e. not behind a hedge, garden wall) with no restrictions to access (i.e. behind a gate). In locations with very narrow (where bins would cause difficulties for footpath users) or no public footpath, bins can be presented up to 1 metre (one footstep) inside the property boundary.

Where a property is on a private or ‘unadopted’ road the Borough of Poole requires written permissions and/or indemnity against damage from the owner(s) to enable servicing. Where it is not possible to access the road or permission/indemnity is not received, the normal collection point will be at a suitable position on the nearest adopted highway or other suitable location agreed between the householder and Borough of Poole. It is the householder’s responsibility to get their bin(s) to the specified location.

After bins are emptied, the collection crew will return them to the position they were collected, providing this is safe and suitable. It is the householder’s responsibility to return the bin(s) to within the boundary of their property as soon as possible after they have been emptied and no later than the following morning of collection.

Communal bins located at flats normally require vehicle access on to private land to enable collection. It is the responsibility of the managing committee/agent to ensure access and to provide indemnity against damage.

Missed bins

All bins must be presented as detailed in point 7. Where a bin is presented correctly (manner, time, day,place, etc) but has been genuinely missed by the collection crew and the household is unable to manage the waste until their next collection, the Borough of Poole will endeavour to return and empty the bin within 2 working days of a report being received.

Where a collection crew have been unable to empty a bin because it has not been presented correctly (e.g. contains contaminating material/is overweight), they will leave information indicating why it has not been emptied. In this case the Borough of Poole will not return to empty the bin prior to the next scheduled collection. It is the householder’s responsibly to remove the contaminated/excess waste and make alternative arrangements to dispose of it responsibly. Where a genuine mistake has occurred; additional material may be collected at the next scheduled collection.

There are occasions where collection crews are prevented from accessing bins for collection due to poorly parked vehicles, roadworks, etc. Where this is the case, the Borough of Poole will make every effort to return once access becomes available. In exceptional circumstances, if a collection vehicle is repeatedly restricted from accessing bins, residents may be requested to take bins to an agreed alternative location.

Where there are persistent problems with access, and there is no reasonable expectation of accessing a road or area. The collection service will seek to resolve the access issue with individuals and agencies such as the Police and Transportation Services (Highways Authority). Possible solutions may include the introduction of yellow lines, restricted parking or designated collection points.

The Borough of Poole will on occasion alter collections schedules where required. e.g. Christmas period, severe weather. Information about alternative collection arrangements will be kept up to date on and in council newsletters.

Side waste

The standard bin capacities that the Borough of Poole provides should be sufficient to hold all household waste that householders produce between collections, provided that appropriate use is made of the bins supplied. Extra bags, boxes and loose waste left out for collection can create litter and attract vermin. Additional waste presented alongside bins will be deemed as ‘side waste’ and will not be collected.

It is the householder’s responsibility to take back uncollected side waste onto their property. Side waste left on the highway will be deemed to be flytipping.

The exceptions to this policy are:

When collections have been delayed or cancelled (e.g. suspension of service due to severe weather.
On the first collection after the Christmas period where reasonable amounts of side waste will be accepted. Residents would be required to use their own sacks/boxes for this purpose.

When a genuine mistake has been made by the householder e.g. mistakenly contaminated the bin, overloaded the bin. Properties will be monitored and if repeated incidences are evident side waste will not be taken in the future.

Overfilled or overweight bins

Bins lids must be closed and should not be overfilled or too heavy for either the collection vehicle or crew to move and lift safely. If waste is too compacted, it may not come out of the bin when it is tipped into the collection vehicle. The collection crew will load the bin twice in an attempt to free the waste, however, if the waste remains in the bin it will be left and become the householders’ responsibility to remove/loosen this before the next collection. The householder is also expected to remove any items that are too heavy to empty. In both instances thecollection crew will leave information to explain why the bin has been left. The Borough of Poole will not return to empty the bin before the next scheduled collection.

Disposal or large/bulky items

The kerbside refuse and recycling collection service is for the collection of general household waste items as detailed in point 3. The service is not for the collection of large/bulky items left at the side of bins e.g. Televisions, unwanted children’s toys, mattresses etc. The Council provides Poole’s Household Waste Recycling Centre located at Nuffield Road for disposal of such items and in addition offers a separate collection service in partnership with Dorset Reclaim. For further details visit or telephone 01202 679350. Alternatively the Council provides a chargeable domestic skip service visit telephone 01202 261709.

Contaminated bins

A full list of materials that can/should be placed in the black, blue and green bins can be viewed in Point 3, other communication material to ensure householders are aware of what materials can be placed where. The Borough of Poole will offer help and support to residents to successfully separate their waste.

Householders must put the correct materials in the correct bins to ensure that they are emptied. The Borough of Poole is unable to empty bins that are contaminated as this waste can contaminate a whole vehicle load of recycling which then has to be landfilled at great cost to the Council/taxpayer. In this event the crew will leave information on the bin advising why. The householder will need to remove all contamination from the bin before the next scheduled collection or it will not be emptied.