Recycling.

So now we're on a two week bin cycle and all of us are recycling a bit more with our green lidded bins.  That's a good thing right?  So stop moaning and get recycling!  I think it's a good thing, it makes recycling easier and that way more people do it. There's also recycling facilities in the Rocfort Road car park.  We also have a collection twice a month by the Snodland Scout Group, second & fourth Saturdays of the month, I've written the dates at the bottom of this page but they can also be found on their website.  We also have paper recycling facilities at the Community Centre which benefit the Snodland Scout Group so please try and drop your paper there to help our Scouts.  Here's some information grabbed from the Tonbridge and Malling website to help you understand the service better.

Green Waste and Cardboard Collection Service

The green waste and cardboard collection service  currently operates in 18,000 properties across the borough. In this service green waste and cardboard is collected in a green-lidded bin along with the green box for paper and cans while the black wheeled bin is collected on the alternate week. The service has been running successfully for almost five years and was introduced, in partnership with Kent County Council, to provide an easy-to-use recycling scheme that  significantly reduces the amount of waste going to landfill sites.

Over the next few years all suitable households will receive the green waste and cardboard service. The following frequently asked questions will be useful to all residents who receive the service.

Why is this service so important?

Every person in Tonbridge & Malling generates nearly half a tonne of rubbish each year. In total, this is enough to fill four million bathtubs! At the moment, most of this material is sent to holes in the ground called landfill sites. The bad news is that we are running out of landfill space and it is predicted that there will be no capacity left in any of the sites currently in Kent within five to ten years. This means that we must find alternative ways of disposing of our rubbish. Recycling and composting provide two solutions but these require us all to consider the rubbish we produce as a resource rather than as a waste. It may surprise you to know that up over 60% of the materials in the average bin can be recycled or composted.

Do I still use my green box?

Yes. Every household in the borough can request a green box for the storage and collection of newspapers, magazines, white envelopes, junk mail, steel tins, aluminium tins, aerosol cans and foil. The green box is collected fortnightly from your kerbside. The green-lidded wheeled bin is collected on the same week as the green box. If you would like a green box please call the refuse and recycling helpline on 01732 876147.

What do I have to do differently?

In order to operate the service successfully, we need you to help by separating your waste into the three different containers provided. Whenever this service is introduced we will be doing everything we can to make the changeover to the new service as smooth as possible.

What are the benefits of the new service?

The new service enables us to significantly increase the amount of waste that we recycle or compost each year and allow us to exceed nationally set targets. It also helps to raise awareness of the growing waste problem and encourages residents to play their part in preserving the environment. The good news is that we can do all this at no extra cost to you or the council.

Is my property unsuitable for the service?

We know that some properties will be unsuitable for the service (for example flats or properties with very small gardens or with no garden at all, properties on sack collections or properties with no space for a second wheeled bin) and these properties will be exempt from the scheme. We also know that the scheme will need to be tailored to meet the special requirements of some households (for example properties with six or more people may need a larger bin and elderly or disabled residents may need a "pull out" service to move the bins).

What do people who are already using the scheme think about it?

Feedback from residents who took part in research carried out a year into the scheme was very positive with 94% agreeing with the council's recycling activities and 80% reporting that they were satisfied with the new service.

Will the scheme be expanded across the whole borough?

The council will be rolling out the service to the rest of the borough in  6,000 property phases in the spring and summer of 2006 and will then review the service before further expansion.

How can I find out more?

Whenever the service is introduced residents will be given the opportunity to  attended  public meetings and will have had the chance to ask questions and raise any concerns you may have.

Organisations and local groups in the areas affected are also welcome to borrow a video which explains how the service will work - please call the refuse and recycling helpline for more details.

What can go into each bin?

Should you require further information TMBC officers are always happy to talk to you in person, even if you do not live in the areas affected by the current phases of the expansion, so if you have any questions or concerns please call the refuse and recycling helpline on 01732 876147 and we will be happy to help.

Here are the 2008 dates for 1st Snodland Scout Group collection of waste paper in Snodland and the areas they collect from:

Apple Close, Simpson Road, Saltings Road, Malling Road, Holborough Road and all surrounding Roads:-  April 12th, May 10th, June 14th, July 5th, August 9th, September 13th, October 11th, November 8th, December 13th

St Benedicts Road, Midsummer Road, Hollow Lane, Pout Road, Birling Road, Roberts Road and all surrounding Roads:-  March 22nd, April 26th, May 24th, June 28th, July 26th, August 23rd, September 27th, October 25th, November 22nd, December 27th.