HOUSEHOLDERS in West Oxfordshire will start to get their new wheelie bins today ahe-ad of a revamp of the district’s rubbish scheme in November.

New light grey bins will be delivered between today and Friday, October 8, as part of a push towards recycling that West Oxfordshire District Council hopes will save it £500,000 in landfill taxes.

And residents have been told that rather than waiting for the new scheme to start in November, they can start using the new bins straight away.

David Harvey, cabinet member for the environment, said: “Although the new service does not start until late November, residents can use their new light grey wheelie bins straightaway for household waste that cannot be recycled. Their old black wheelie bin will become their garden waste bin ready for the new free, fortnightly garden waste collections starting in November, if they have signed up for this service.

“If they haven’t yet signed up for garden waste collections, there is still time to do so, or if they do not want this service they can contact us and we will collect their old wheelie bins for re-use elsewhere.”

When the scheme starts, there will be weekly food waste recycling collections, the continuation of weekly black box recycling collections and fortnightly free garden waste collections, alternating with fortnightly household rubbish collections.

Food waste containers will be delivered at the beginning of November and all households will receive an information pack and calendar, detailing their collection days, before the service begins.

Mr Harvey said the district had to cut how much rubbish it was sending to landfill.

He added: “Sending waste to landfill sites is costly and this cost is rising each year.

“Not only do council tax payers need to foot the bill for disposal costs and tax on every ton of waste that ends up in the landfill site, but exceeding set landfill allowances will incur penalties.

“Currently we are recycling around 34 per cent of waste in West Oxfordshire.

“Under the new service with the inclusion of both garden and kitchen waste recycling, this rate can be doubled and it will reduce landfill costs significantly.”

But Joe Coulson, of Lower End, Leafield, was not convinced the scheme would work.

He said: “The previous arrangement by which small amounts of garden rubbish can be put into the black wheelie bins is more than adequate, especially as I compost our trimmings from herbaceous plants.

“The cuttings from woody hedges and tree trimmings come rarely but in quantities that will overwhelm a bin and would have to be stored and put in the bin in instalments.”

Anyone who has not received their new household rubbish bin by October 8 should contact the council at westoxon.gov.uk/waste or by calling 01993 861025.

Household rubbish will continue to be picked up weekly until the new waste and recycling service begins on Monday, November 22.

witney@oxfordmail.co.uk