Paper and Card Recycling Trial

Nearly 7,200 homes in Boston, North Kesteven and South Holland have been taking part in a trial to collect their paper and cardboard separately from the rest of their recycling for the last year. The aim of the trial, run by the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership, was to boost the quality and amount of paper and card recycled as well as improve the quality of the rest of your recycling. The participants in the trial have taken to this initiative extremely well and the outputs of the trial have given us invaluable data and feedback to help us move forward.

The reason we need to improve the recycling is simple. By putting the right thing in the right bin we can improve the quality of the recycling we collect in Lincolnshire and ensure that more items are successfully recycled back into products that can be used over and over again. The present method for collecting recycling (all in one bin) means that the vast majority of paper and card we collect is contaminated by the other items in the recycling bin, like glass and often food waste. Paper and card is also prone to becoming damp, wet and stained when mixed with other recycling. We believe that by collecting it separately in a different bin, it will be kept clean and dry, so it will be recycled rather than being lost because of the contamination. This also means that we can concentrate on the other types of material in your bin, plastics, metals and glass only to ensure that we can be as environmentally efficient as possible.

There are still a number of steps beforehand, but the intention is for all households within North Kesteven to receive their purple bins in Autumn 2021, after Boston but ahead of other district areas.

 You will receive a black bin with a purple lid to put your paper and card into.

The bins used in the trial were a solid purple, the feedback from those taking part in the trial said they would have preferred a black bin with a purple lid; We listened to the feedback and so the bin that will be used for the roll out will be black with a purple lid.

All paper (except shredded paper or tissues) and cardboard can be put into your paper and card bin but it must be CLEAN WITH NO FOOD RESIDUE.

Customers will be sent further details at the time of the roll out.

Please see our Purple bin recycling guide for further details.

Green lidded bin – four weekly

Purple lidded bin – four weekly

Sequence: Black – Green lidded – Black – Purple lidded – Black – Green lidded – Black - etc

Not at this time as the data from the trial has shown that the bin you have been issued should be sufficient to collect all of your paper and card. If you have larger amounts of excess paper and cardboard, please visit your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.

There is no option for a smaller bin as part of the roll out.

We cannot empty bins that contain wrong materials. Wrong materials can contaminate the load and make it unsuitable for recycling. Bins will be stickered/tagged and will not be emptied until the next relevant scheduled collection when you must have removed the items not suitable for recycling. 

Please see our Purple bin recycling guide for further details.

No. If you have large amounts of cardboard, please visit your local HWRC.

If your recycling is wet, the paper and cardboard can stick together and won't be able to be recycled.   

Yes, the trial has proved that that collecting paper and cardboard separately is the most efficient and effective method of collection and so paper & card won't be accepted in your current recycling bin. It will only be accepted in the purple lidded bin. We will be working with you to make sure that we get the right solution for you going forward.

As part of the roll out the Council will be serving notice that specifies the waste that can be placed into each bin for disposal.  Where the incorrect waste is placed into the wrong bin may result in the bin not being emptied.

As we enter the roll out phase we shall work with residents to overcome any legitimate storage concerns.

For all new ventures, we need to firstly invest in the required containers, materials and collection methods. This initial investment of around £3m should be recouped within three to five years and will be greatly outweighed by the long-term savings. That money could then instead be spent on other vital services in your community. It is important to remember that it isn't just about costs. It is about us doing the right thing to help protect the environment for the future, as our residents expect. By using a specialist paper recycler in the UK, we can reduce the amount of miles it travels before being fully recycled and consequently our carbon footprint and by reducing the contamination in the rest of the recycling this process also becomes more efficient both economically and environmentally.

Yes. If you already have an assisted collection, this will continue.

Your recycling bin containing plastics, metals, glass and paper & card is currently sent to our contractor to sort. By separating your paper and card into a single bin this will avoid the paper and card becoming damp, wet and stained when mixed with other recycling. We believe that by collecting it separately in a different bin, it will be kept clean and dry, so it will be recycled rather than being lost because of the contamination.