Successful bin swap in Shawclough

100 residents in Shawclough trialled a 240-litre blue recycling bin; larger than their usual 140-litre bins

A recent trial of larger paper and card recycling bins in the Shawclough area has resulted in a 50 percent response rate.

The trial, swapping the smaller 140-litre bins for the recommended 240-litre took place in September as some residents still did not have the recommended larger paper and card recycling bins.

For bin collections taking place every three weeks, 240-litre wheeled bins are considered the standard size.

Neil Maver, Waste and Recycling Manager, said: “We know our residents are increasingly keen to recycle, through the significant increase we’ve seen in recycling rates across the borough.

“This trial is purely to enable residents to recycle more in areas where we’ve identified a high number of smaller 140-litre paper and card bins.”

A larger trial of 500 bins in the same area and on the same collection round is being planned, although a date is yet to be confirmed.

Following this, Rochdale Borough Council will monitor the recycling levels pre- and post-trial to ascertain the cost effectiveness of rolling it out to more households.