Positive reaction in West Norfolk to new battery recycling service and phased introduction of small electrical collection
New weekly household collections of used batteries and the phased introduction of small electrical item collections launched by West Norfolk Council have been well supported by the public.
Residents are now able to recycle used household batteries by leaving them out for collection alongside their normal household waste or recycling collection. People are asked to place used household batteries in a freezer bag or similar sized clear bag and leave it on top of their bin on their normal bin collection days.
Additionally, the borough council is phasing in weekly collections of broken, or no longer needed, small electrical items.
Cllr Paul Kunes, cabinet member for Environment and CO2 reduction, said: “Thousands of used batteries have been left out by residents since we introduced the collections. Recycling small electricals is another step towards reducing our impact on the environment.
"Many householders in West Norfolk will have old charger cables from mobile phones, cameras and other items. Several will have draws full of these unused or unusable pieces of modern life. Working with Serco we can now recover and recycle the copper, aluminium, gold and plastic.
"This scheme is not just about old cables and gadgets but includes small toasters and hairdryers, all of which can now be recycled from home.”
Used battery collections are already taking place across the district. Small electrical item collections are being phased in by collection round. Areas including Hunstanton, Snettisham, Heacham, Ingoldsthorpe and Dersingham have already had hundreds of items collected with their weekly collection. The whole of West Norfolk will be included with the weekly collections by mid-July.
Residents will receive a hanger on their bin, detailing the week before collections are due to start in their area which items qualify and when and how to put them out for collection.
Gary Edwards, Serco Norfolk's senior contract manger, said: “We are delighted to be working with the council to provide these new weekly recycling services to their residents.”
