Conwy to roll out Trolibocs to all householders
Conwy County Borough Council has announced that it is to roll out the Trolibocs separate collection system to all ‘suitable houses’ by spring 2015.
Manufactured by Straight (now part of the One51 plastics company, OnePlastics), the 150-litre capacity container system was designed to help UK local authorities meet the European Commission’s requirements for member states to have in place separate collections of paper, plastic, metal and glass by 1 January 2015.
Involving three stackable boxes that fit onto a wheeled trolley, the Trolibocs system comprises: a 40-litre box for paper and white/grey card; a 55-litre box for cans, cartons and plastics; and a 55-litre box for glass bottles and jars, as well as brown cardboard.
Conwy Trolibocs trials
The stackable system, highlighted as one of the Welsh Government’s ‘preferred’ recycling approaches in its ‘Collections Blueprint’, was first rolled out to 4,000 households in Conwy last year as part of a trial to boost recycling rates, funded by the Welsh Government’s Collaborative Change Programme.
As the trial helped increase recycling in these households by around five per cent, the system was rolled out to a further 6,000 households in the Conwy Valley and other parts of rural Conwy in November 2013.
However, the council has now announced that as the recycling system ‘proved hugely popular and made a real difference to the amount Conwy recycles’, Trolibocs will be rolled out to all ‘suitable’ households that are still on the old box and bag system for dry recyclables (one bag for paper; one for plastic, cans and cartons; and a box for glass and cardboard).
As such, more than 41,000 Conwy households are set to receive the new Trolibocs recycling container system from this month.
Residents in eastern parts of the county, such as Kinmel Bay, Colwyn Bay, Mochdre, and Deganwy, will receive the new recycling container in the following weeks. After Christmas, those in Rhos-on-Sea, Penrhyn Bay, Llandudno down to the Llanfairfechan regions will receive it, with those in Conwy, Glan Conwy, the Conwy Valley and Llanrwst receiving their Trolibocs in early 2015.
All suitable households are expected to have the bins ‘by spring 2015’.
System is ‘helping to collect more high-quality recycling’
Jon Eastwood, Waste Manager for Conwy County Borough Council, said that residents receiving Trolibocs can start using it from their following collection day (which will remain the same), leaving their old bags and boxes out for collection alongside it. However, residents can choose to continue using the old containers for surplus recycling.
Councillor Mike Priestley, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Environment and Sustainability, said: “For a long time, the people of Conwy were calling for better containers that are easier to use and can stand up to the worst the weather can throw at us. Last year, we trialled the Trolibocs and it proved to be a huge success: the amount of recycling collected went up and residents told us that not only did it make recycling easier, but it also made their streets look tidier on collection day too.
“People in Conwy are among the best in Wales when it comes to recycling, and the Trolibocs [make] it easy to be green. I'm delighted that we are now rolling the Trolibocs out across the county, and I know residents will be too.”
He said: “I’m pleased to say that in Wales we lead the way in the UK, and Conwy council residents are recycling more than the Welsh average.
“The Welsh Government funded the pilot of the new Trolibocs recycling containers because we want to support Conwy residents to recycle as much as possible.
“Conwy was the first council in the UK to use the system and the Trolibocs will help its environment team to collect more high-quality recycling. By separating materials in the separate boxes, more materials can be recycled in Wales rather than sent across the border or abroad, bringing benefits to the Welsh economy.”
He thanked Conwy residents for their “recycling efforts so far”, adding that he was “ambitious to see rates continue to rise across Wales”.
Find out more about the stackable bin system in Resource 78, or learn more about Sargeant’s plans for Welsh recycling.
