Sandwell receive 7,000 new bins

More than 7,000 homes in Sandwell are to get new recycling wheelie bins from next week - a 50 per cent rise on the current number.

Around 14,000 homes in Smethwick and Great Barr have the blue-lidded bins. These are for plastic bottles, trays and other food container items, cardboard, drinks cartons and Yellow Pages.

Sandwell Council has announced a further 7,000 in Old Warley and Bearwood will get them between next Monday and June 1.

All homes already recycle items such as newspapers and magazines, cans, glass bottles and jars.

Residents in the trial area can leave their old green recycling box out for collection from the week beginning May 18. It will be collected by Community Recycling Venture to be used in other parts of the borough.

The trials aim to cut the amount of household rubbish going to landfill and help meet Sandwell's own targets of recycling at least 30 per cent of waste by next year.

Collection calendars and detailed information on the new service will be delivered to residents with the new blue lidded bins.

The calendars will be attached to the bin lid.

Housing chief Councillor Mahboob Hussain, said: "In the first two trial areas there has been an impressive 18 per cent reduction in the amount of rubbish collected and sent to landfill."