New recycling box scheme to start before Christmas

9.16.31pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 18th Oct 2008

• HOUSEHOLDS across the borough will be discovering black and blue together make green, as a new recycling box scheme begins.

Richmond Council has started to deliver the new blue boxes which, together with householders' existing black boxes, will soon form the mainstay of the borough's simplified and more efficient recycling collection service. Cabinet Member for Environment Cllr Martin Elengorn said:

"Our residents are already keen recyclers - we have the third best record in London - and we want to boost our performance even higher. The new two-box system is designed to make recycling not only simpler than ever, but more cost-effective. With the cost of using landfill sites rising, it is vital to count every penny - and of course the benefit to the environment of maximising recycling is immense."

First to benefit will be the Surrey side, as the new blue boxes are dropped off between October 20 and 31. The Middlesex side deliveries will be completed by November 14. From December 1 the entire borough will be operating the new collection scheme. Residents can start using the two-box system as soon as their new blue box arrives. There is no need to wait until December 1, although the present system of boxes and bags introduced last year will still be acceptable in the run-up. After that, the bag collection will cease in favour of the new system. A leaflet detailing what should be put in each box will be delivered with each new blue container.

The new scheme:

• Blue for paper and cardboard;

• Black for glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, drinks cans, food cans, aerosols and foil.

• The food waste and garden waste recycling services will remain unchanged.

• No changes will be made to collection days or waste collections