Wheelie bin reminder to householders

HOUSEHOLDERS are being reminded that black / blue bags will not be collected from wheelie bins.

Residents are being urged to remove the bags from wheeled containers before putting out for collection at the kerbside.

The council’s refuse/recycling crews are unable to collect from wheeled containers for health and safety reasons as there is an increased risk of injury due to the repetitive way in which staff would have to bend to collect the bags of unknown weight.

The bins are designed for mechanical emptying and not manual. The council was able to collect from wheelie bins in previous years as the refuse lorries used had a mechanical lift on the rear. However, these lorries were phased out when the green bin / blue bag recycling scheme was introduced.

The council continues to collect from ordinary dustbins, as long as the waste is bagged. If the waste was loose it would mean staff would have to physically lift the bin over the height of the lorry well and whilst this may not seem too strenuous in single terms, repetitive lifting of this type would cause injury to staff long-term.

The decision to cease collections from wheeled containers has been council policy since March 2010.

Executive Board Member for Street Scene Cllr Colin Evans said: “There are a number of valid reasons why the council is unable to collect from wheeled containers and we would appreciate householders’ co-operation.

“We ask residents to please remove their black bags and blue recycling bags from such containers and place at their normal collection point on the day of collection. Waste presented at the kerbside in wheeled containers will not be collected.”

For further information on rubbish and recycling please visit www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/recycling or call Carmarthenshire Direct on 01267 234567.