The City and District of St Albans currently offers a fortnightly kerbside collection service for all the residential properties in the district where practicable i.e. all houses, but not flats, sheltered accommodation, etc (see section on flats below). All participating residents are given two 55 litre recycling boxes (free of charge)  in which to put their recyclables; one for newspaper and magazines, the other for cans (steel and aluminium), empty aerosols, plastic bottles and glass. The glass collected will not be kept colour separated, but collected mixed.

Additional recycling boxes can be purchased from the Council at a cost of £3 each (while stocks are available).

All residents are provided with a twice yearly calendar in ‘Recycling News’ indicating when their collections will take place.

In order to help achieve the Council’s recycling target of 50% by 2011, we have introduced fortnightly kerbside collection of green waste in the district.

Green waste = garden waste, food waste – cooked and raw, shredded paper and cardboard, all these items can be placed in your green wheeled bin. For a comprehensive list of what can and can't go into the green bin please go to www.recyclingforapremier.com.

After 31st May, reusable green bags will not be emptied; if you are still using one please call Client Services on 01727 819285 or e-mail clientservices@stalbans.gov.uk to arrange delivery of a 140 or 240 litre green wheeled bin.

Only those residents who live in properties subject to the Article 4 directive conservation area or where the council considers the property is unsuitable for wheeled bin use can continue to use the green bags.

The green waste round which collects garden waste, kitchen waste and cardboard together will continue throughout the year without a break over winter as in previous years.

For all residents in St. Albans District, the Council also provides 18 static recycling sites around the district. These sites provide facilities for the recycling of newspapers/magazines, glass, plastic bottles, cans and aerosols (steel and aluminium). Some also have containers for the collections of textiles, books and shoes. The council does not operate the static recycling sites at Sainsburys; London Colney and Everard Close. For a comprehensive list please visit www.recyclingforapremier.com.

Collection facilities for cardboard are available at the Household Waste Recycling Centres at Dark Lane, Harpenden, Ronsons Way, Sandridge, Morrisons car park, Hatfield Road and Waterdale, St Albans Road.

The opening hours of these three sites are as follows:

Dark Lane: 10am - 6pm; all year,

St.Albans Road: 1 April - 30 September 8am - 6pm; 1 October - 31 March 8am - 4pm

Waterdale Household Waste Recycling Centre, St Albans Road, Nr Garston Opening times: 8am - 6pm daily

Containers for the collection of Tetrapak, i.e. wax. coated cartons are provided at Morrisons, Waitrose St Albans, Amenbury Lane car park, Wheathampsted Memorial Hall car park, Marford Road and Marshalswick car park.

The Household Waste Recycling Centres also collect the following materials which are recycled – all white goods, fridges, freezers, engine oil, cans, plastic bottles, newspaper and magazines, glass bottles and textiles.

A free leaflet containing details of the St.Albans District Recycling Points can be obtained by phoning 01727 819285. Further information on waste and recycling in Hertfordshire, including the opening times of the Household Waste Recycling Centres, can be found on the Waste Aware website.

Part of the Councils recycling strategy is to promote home composting. Subsidised home composters are available through the County Council scheme, so if you are interested and would like a leaflet, please contact this office or ring the free trial hotline 0845 077 0757 and quote ref HER04 or go to www.recyclenow.com/compost

All the materials collected are taken to the Councils Materials Reclamation Facility (MRF) where they are stored, sorted and baled as necessary before being loaded and sent to processors throughout the UK.

The newspaper and magazines go to a paper mill in Kent, the aluminium to Cheshire, the plastics and steel cans to Lancashire and the majority of glass to Harlow in Essex. Cardboard is taken to Pearce Recycling in St Albans.

All collected refrigerators and freezers from the bulky waste collection service are sent to specialist contractors to have their C.F.C. components removed before disposal. All re-useable units are renovated and sold. TV sets, PC monitors, sunbeds etc which are now classified as hazardous waste and other electrical equipment are also separated during the collection of bulky waste and stored prior to collection by a specialist company.

The tonnages of materials collected by this Council and sent to processors is as follows:-

Yes please to: glass bottles and jars

Yes please to: Newspapers, magazines, catalogues, white telephone directories and junk mail.

Yes please to: All cans - food and pet food as well as drinks cans and aerosols. Please wash and squash your cans. There is no need to remove any paper labels. Please include your aluminium foil. Please empty the aerosols before putting out for collection.

Yes please to: All plastic bottles. Coloured bottles that have contained household cleaners, washing up liquid, bleach, shampoo etc. are acceptable.

No thanks to: Yoghurt pots, ice cream or margarine tubs, punnets or film or any other form of plastic sheets. It is strictly plastic bottles only - without lids as they are made of a different type of plastic.

No thanks to: Yellow pages

The Council's kerbside recycling scheme relies on an edge of boundary collection, i.e. the boxes are placed close to the boundary. This makes the collection of materials using recycling boxes from flats, sheltered accommodation, etc. impractical.

The Council is however committed to ensuring that all residents of flats etc and schools have access to recycling facilities. This Council is prepared to offer wheeled recycling bins to such properties for the collection of recyclable materials.

As long as there is a hard standing for the recycling bin, reasonable vehicle access and the bin can be wheeled to it, then the Council can arrange for recycling bins to be provided and emptied as often as necessary, free of charge. The bins can be of varying sizes to suit the location and they can be designed for a variety of materials.

Enquiries to go on the above scheme – to Louise Palmer on 01727-819428 or e-mail l.palmer@stalbans.gov.uk.

Junior and Infant schools are also entitled to 3 compost bins and 10 kitchen caddies f.o.c., for details please contact advisor@wrap.org.uk

The Council does not provide a collection service for recyclables/re-useables from commercial premises. Enquires for this service can however be made by visiting the waste aware website.

This Council currently run an incentive scheme to promote the use of cotton nappies instead of disposable. This is to reduce the 8 million per day thrown away every day in the UK and which go to landfill or incineration.

The Councils incentive scheme offers £60 to families using reusable nappies. We also operate a trial kit service for carers to borrow f.o.c.

To arrange a loan of a kit or for further details of the incentive scheme please contact Louise Palmer at these offices or contact the Wasteaware website for an application form. Please also visit www.realnappycampaign.com for information and advice.

Come and find out all you need to know about cloth nappies. Chat to experts and make new friends over free coffee and cake at a “Nappyccino”.

“Nappyccino’s” will be held at the Maltings Arts Theatre (2nd floor of the Maltings between TK Maxx and the Library) on:

18 Sept 08 and
11 Dec 08

Between 10.00 am -12.00 noon.

For more information contact l.palmer@stalbans.gov.uk or Louise Palmer 01727 819428.

For general enquiries regarding recycling or for a free leaflet on recycling or subsidised composters and waste prevention, please contact Client Services on 01727 819285.

HWRS are located at St. Albans Road, Sandridge, Dark Lane, Harpenden and Waterdale.