Taken from Wokingham Borough Council News Centre
Wokingham borough residents are reminded that from Monday (1 November) recycling will only be collected from the sealed green waterproof green bags and not the old black recycling boxes.
This change was announced on 1 September and since 4 October the council’s contractor Veolia has been alerting residents who are still putting out their boxes by placing reminder stickers on them during collections.
Cllr Parry Batth, executive member for environment and leisure, said: “I’ve been so impressed with residents’ unique ways of repurposing their black boxes. We’ve seen flowers and vegetable planters, wildlife shelters, storage containers and so much more.
“We’re encouraging residents to find uses for their black boxes but we understand that not everyone will, which is why we created the ‘Wokingham Borough black box rehoming hub’ Facebook group. We have been pleased to see lots of people connecting and finding new homes and a new lease of life for their old black boxes.”
What you can do with your black boxes
The council has heard from many residents repurposing their black boxes in unique and practical ways such as:
- Storage for items in the shed, garage or loft
- As a planter in the garden for growing vegetables or flowers
- Storing glass to take to the bottle bank
- Shelter for wildlife
- Donating to family, friends, neighbours or anyone else who wants it
The ‘Wokingham Borough black box rehoming hub’ aims to connect residents who have found ways to reuse their boxes, and would like more, with those who may not have a purpose for them. This allows people who want to reuse them to get hold of more.
If residents can’t find a way to reuse or repurpose their black boxes, the re3 recycling centres at Bracknell and Reading are now able to recycle rigid plastic. All the materials are recycled for use in European and UK markets as pipelines, cars, construction and furniture materials. You can book your click & tip slot via the re3 webpage.
Anyone who needs more green recycling bags can collect up to four more from one of our collection hubs in Wokingham, Woodley or Earley. Further information on opening times and days can be found on the recycling bag webpages.
