PLASTIC bottles, cardboard and textiles will be collected by the Forest Council from next Monday (August 1) as part of its new weekly kerbside recycling service.

Cllr Marrilyn Smart (Con, Christchurch and English Bicknor), Cabinet member for the environment at the Forest of Dean District Council, said: “The current collection for glass, cans, tins, aerosols and paper will also move to a weekly pick up from Monday, August 1.

“Alongside this, we are introducing a fortnightly collection for small waste electrical and electronic equipment. Items such as toasters, kettles, irons, dvd players, cameras, hand-held power tools, mobile and digital phones and household batteries will be picked up on the same week as the refuse collection. We ask that they are put in a normal carrier bag and left on top of the black wheeled bin.

“Paper and cardboard go in the new blue woven bag and residents are asked to use two green recycling boxes for their other materials.  One box is for plastic bottles, tins, cans and aerosols, while a second box should be used for glass and textiles.  Textiles should be bagged before placing them in the second box.

“These changes are possible thanks to the new Romaquip fleet which our waste contractor Biffa will be using. They allow recycling to be kept separate on the vehicle, maintaining its quality. That’s why we’re asking residents to use both their bag and boxes to put their items out.”

The fortnightly garden waste and refuse collections will remain unchanged.  Food waste will continue to be picked up weekly but will now be collected using the Romaquip vehicles.

Anyone who has not received an information leaflet about the changes can download one by visiting www.fdean.gov.uk or call the district council on 01594 810000.  Blue bags and recycling boxes can be ordered from the council.