Project Bags to Bins!

Enveco is committed to mitigating the use of red sacks where possible with project Bags to Bins!

Enveco NW environmental services’ key objectives are to deliver innovative approaches to reduce waste, support reuse, and increase the town’s recycling rate. Along with being a trusted local employer that contributes to the local economy, cares for the local environment, and delivers on climate change improvements whilst working towards keeping Blackpool tidy for residents, businesses, and visitors to enjoy.

One of the numerous projects Enveco implements is the process of providing households with bins when they previously used sacks – this is known as project Bags to Bins.

The bags-to-bins process is where Enveco’s Environment Educational Officer reviews reported areas within the town to understand why these residents don’t have access to a bin.  There are a variety of reasons why this occurs. For example, households may not have been issued private wheeled bins or communal euro bins; there may not be a suitable space for the bins to be stored or presented, such as no boundary space outside the property; or the alleyway may be unsuitable for the wagons to drive near.

Following the area review, if the Environment Educational Officer believes bins will be suitable for the residences, a second assessment is performed with the Domestic Waste Supervisor, who looks at collection logistics.

If it is in the best interest of properties to make the switch from Bags to Bins in that specific area, a letter will be sent to the property giving at least two weeks’ notice of when the bins will be delivered; normal bag collections will continue until the bins are delivered, as stated on the letter; bins are normally delivered within the same week as the new waste collection. The grey-lidded bin is always the first to be collected. The delivery will include a grey and blue bin, and recycling sack, as well as literature informing residents of collection days and other important information. If a property of multiple occupancy is receiving a euro bin the letter will include a map of where the bin is kept.

The goal of this approach is to encourage residents to recycle, reduce waste on the streets caused by torn bags, and improve the overall aesthetic appeal of the town.

Enveco successfully transferred 590 properties from Bags to Bins from June 2022 to July 2023. The benefit seen is that streets are cleaner, and residents are more positive as a result of having the ability to recycle, which encourages civic pride within the Town.

There are occasions after investigation, it is determined that bins would not be suitable for residents for reasons such as insufficient storage space for wheeled bins, the presentation ground being unsuitable for the bins to be wheeled across, resulting in damaged ground and wheels, or the presentation area being unsuitable for wagons to collect, due to tight road size, etc.

If properties are not suitable for wheeled bins, Seagull-proof sacks are an alternate approach to keep wildlife from tearing sacks open. These large black sacks hold three red sacks, fasten with Velcro, and allow households to put out these bags the night before collection with the peace of knowledge that their waste would be safe until the next day’s collection.

If you would like Enveco to consider your area for wheeled bins, bags, or Seagull-proof sacks, simply email: recycling@enveconw.co.uk.