Weekly Food Waste Collection Service
Improvements to your recycling and refuse collections
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the improvements to the service?
Trafford Council will be making improvements to your recycling and refuse collections
as follows:
 Green Bin – your green bin for food and garden waste is currently collected
every fortnight this will change to a weekly collection.
 Grey Bin – your grey bin for general refuse is currently collected every week
this will change to a fortnightly collection.
 All properties will be provided with a 7 litre kitchen caddy and a roll of
compostable liners to assist residents in recycling their food waste.
 Terraced properties only as identified by Trafford Council as unsuitable for
a green bin will be provided with a 23 litre outdoor caddy in place of a green
bin.
2. Why are you making these improvements?
There are three main reasons why we are introducing these improvements to the
recycling and refuse collection services.
a. It will increase our recycling rate
Trafford Council currently have a recycling rate of approximately 50% thanks to
residents participation in the current recycling service however we estimate that
we could potentially increase this to over 60%. A neighboring Council introduced
a similar service over a year ago and has achieved a recycling rate of 62% so far,
proof it can be done!!
b. It will help to protect the environment.
Approximately 50% of the waste in an average household bin in Trafford is food
waste. When this waste decomposes in a landfill site it produces methane gas
which contributes to climate change. Therefore by diverting this waste from the
grey bin to the green bin we will be helping to protect the environment.
c. It will save Trafford Council an estimated £1.1 Million per year.
The costs of waste disposal are increasing year on year. It currently costs £210
per tonne to dispose of waste from the grey bin compared to a cost of £55 per
tonne to recycle food/garden waste in the green bin. Therefore there is a clear
financial incentive to recycle more food/garden waste.
3. Why has the Council not accepted the £6.4million grant from government to
retain weekly residual collections?
A detailed financial analysis, which included updated waste collection data, was
carried out which revealed that it would cost the council £11.6m to maintain the
weekly general waste collections during this period, therefore not making it costeffective.
4. What consultation has taken place regarding these service improvements?
In summer 2012 Trafford Council appointed an independent research firm called
BMG to undertake a survey with the residents of Trafford to consult on the future
recycling and waste services. 4200 properties were randomly selected across all
Wards to take part in the survey.
The results of the survey showed that residents are calling for more support to
encourage green waste recycling:

70% of residents were aware that all food waste should go in the green bin.

Only 17% of residents put all their food waste in their green bin.

37% of those residents not placing food waste in green bins do not place food
waste in the green bin because the food waste is not collected often enough,
with resulting concerns about smells and pests.

50% of residents are placing their grey bins out when they are not full.
With the introduction of a weekly food waste collection we anticipate that the number
of residents who will use this service will increase significantly.
5. When will the new service commence?
The new service is due to be rolled out in phases across the borough during
spring/summer 2013. Residents will be notified nearer the time with a leaflet and
information pack giving more details.
6. How much is this costing Trafford Council?
The weekly collection of food waste will require an initial ‘one-off’ investment of
approximately £800,000. However, we will see a return on this money in the first year
and then see ongoing savings estimated at over £1milllion per year. This saving is
based on the reduction in waste sent for disposal in landfill.
7. How do you propose to encourage residents to recycle more of their food
waste to justify a weekly collection?
All properties (including flats) will be provided with a 7 litre kitchen caddy and a roll of
52 compostable liners (as shown below) to line the caddy and to store their food
waste in (please note plastic bags cannot be used to store food waste). Residents
simply fill the liner with food waste and once full tie it off to seal it, and deposit it into
the green bin or outdoor caddy for collection.
Kitchen Caddy
Compostable Liners
8. I do not have a green bin can I request one?
If you wish to request a green bin you can do this online or by calling Access Trafford
on 0161 912 4000. Please note there is no cost for the supply or delivery of the green
bin.
9. I live in a terraced property and currently do not have a green bin nor do I
have the space for one, how can I participate in this service?
Terraced properties as identified by the Council as unsuitable for a green bin i.e. due
to a lack of storage space will be provided with a 23 litre outdoor caddy with a
lockable lid in place of a green bin. The same principles apply as to the green bin in
that once your liner is full with food waste simply tie it off to seal in the contents and
deposit this in the outside caddy ready for emptying on your next collection day.
If you live in a terraced property but would prefer to have a green bin instead of an
outdoor caddy you can request one online. Similarly, if you live in a terraced property
and already have a green bin and wish to keep this, you can.
10. I live in a block of flats and have no green bins on site, how can we
participate in this service?
The Council will conduct a survey of all flat complexes and are planning to have
communal green bins on all sites prior to the commencement of the weekly food
waste collection service. Flats will also receive a kitchen caddy and compostable
liners that when full they can be deposited into the communal green bins.
11. Can I request a larger or additional grey bin?
Only one grey bin is permitted per household however those who meet specific
criteria may qualify for a larger grey bin. When the service is introduced in your area,
the criteria for a larger grey bin will be as follows:
 Families with five or more permanent residents in the property.
 Residents who have medical conditions causing them to generate waste
which cannot be recycled.
You can apply for a larger grey bin by contacting Access Trafford on 0161 912 4000
and completing a questionnaire over the phone.
12. I already have a larger grey bin due to medical needs however I am
concerned with leaving medical waste for two weeks and that I still won’t have
enough space in my grey bin?
As long as your waste is double bagged and tied off it should not represent a hazard
to health, or significant nuisance over a period of two weeks.
We will review the capacity of the grey bin for residents with medical conditions to
ensure that sufficient capacity is provided over a two week period.
13. I have young children in nappies can I qualify for a larger grey bin?
There are alternatives to disposable nappies and to encourage new parents, Trafford
Council offer a one month free trial to a Nappy Laundry Service, with a company
called Cottontails. Freshly laundered pure cotton nappies are delivered each week
and the soiled ones taken away.
To take up the free one month trial you can:




Visit http://www.cottontails.co.uk/
Send an email to nappies@cottontails.co.uk
Telephone: 0161 708 8223
Visit www.trafford.gov.uk for more information
If you are a family with five or more permanent residents in the property then you can
apply for a larger grey bin.
14. Are there plans to introduce recycling of more plastics other than plastic
bottles?
We are currently in discussions with the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal
Authority to extend the range of plastics for recycling. However there are plans to
produce energy from waste from those materials which cannot be recycled, this will
include plastics.
Until further notice we ask that you only recycle bottle shaped plastics in your black
bin.
15. Will my collection day change?
No. Just the frequencies of your collections will change. Your green bin will be
collected weekly and your grey bin will be collected fortnightly. Your day of collection
will not change. A revised collection calendar will be provided to show the change in
service frequencies
16. I am concerned about storing smelly rubbish such as food and nappies in
my grey bin for two weeks, what should I do?
You can significantly reduce the amount of rubbish you put in your grey bin by
making the most of the weekly food waste and kerbside recycling collection services.
Information and advice on recycling as well as reducing and reusing your waste can
be found by visiting the recycling pages of our website or by contacting Access
Trafford on 0161 912 4000.
We recommend that nappies and other hygiene products are sealed in a bag such as
a nappy sack before they are placed in your grey bin. This should minimize potential
odour problems. You may also want to consider using real nappies. Please see
question 12 for more information.
For larger items or if you have excess waste, you may wish to take it to your local
household waste recycling centre for disposal.
17. Will the food in my green bin smell or attract flies?
By following this simple hygiene checklist potential problems will be avoided or
reduced:

wrap and tie up food waste using the compostable bags provided.

try to avoid storing the green bin/external caddy in direct sunlight.

rinse containers when appropriate.

when your bin is empty place a couple of sheets of newspaper in the bottom
to soak up excess liquid, assist in the emptying of the bin contents and help
keep the bottom of the bin clean.
18. What happens to the food waste collected?
The material collected in the green bins will be transported to a bio-waste composting
facility, called an In-Vessel Composter, located in Trafford Park.
In-Vessel composting is an industrial process of composting that is undertaken in a
controlled enclosed environment usually in tanks or containers. Air, temperature,
humidity and gases generated are all measured to optimise the composting process.
The compost is used as a soil improver in landscaping, farming and horticulture.
19. I already compost at home and so do not think I would use this service.
We are starting to collect food waste weekly to offer a convenient way of composting
food waste to residents. If you already compost your food waste at home in a
compost heap or compost bin, you are encouraged to continue composting.
Please note that you will be able put fish, meat, dairy and plate scrapings into the
green bin, items that are not advisable to put into a compost bin or compost heap. So
you could continue composting at home and use the green bin for these items of food
waste.
We have joined with Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority to offer our
residents the opportunity to purchase compost bins at discounted prices.
For more details, visit the get composting website. To order by telephone please ring
0844 571 4444.
20. I do not want to participate in food waste recycling, what should I do?
We would encourage all residents to take part in food waste recycling as collections
are undertaken more frequently than the grey general waste bin. It will also help to
protect our environment by increasing recycling and reducing the amount of waste
that is sent to costly landfill.
If you would still like to opt out of food waste recycling, please note that the waste in
your grey bin will still be collected fortnightly and no additional capacity for the grey
bin will be granted if you do not meet the criteria.
21. Where do I find out more information?
If you would like more information on the changes to the green and grey bin
collections please contact us online or call Access Trafford 0161 912 4000.