What a load of rubbish! But is it only that? If household waste isn’t dealt with properly, it can be more than just unsightly. It can attract vermin, encourage fly tipping, and release harmful chemicals into the soil. And what’s more – it stinks! So, we need you to play your part in keeping our streets clean and it starts with what goes on inside your home.
1. Know what goes in each bag
Different regions around the UK may do things differently, but here in Swansea, we recycle as much as possible into green, pink, food, garden and general waste bags. Swansea City Council have made it easy for you by listing, on the outside of each bag, what you can (and cannot) put in it.
Into your pink bags go your hard plastics – make sure you aren’t trying to recycle carrier bags and other ‘soft’ plastics here. Into separate green bags go paper or cardboard and tins or cans. Whatever is left over (and isn’t food waste) will get thrown into a black bag. It’s your responsibility to sort your rubbish out correctly, any incorrectly sorted refuse will be left for you to deal with!
2. Know when to put bags out
Now you have perfectly sorted recyclables and some leftover black bag rubbish – but when will they be collected? Pink and black bags will be collected on ‘pink weeks’ and green and garden waste bags will be collected on ‘green weeks’. The only bag collected every week is your food waste. If you’re in Brynmill, the City Centre or Mount Pleasant (three of the most popular locations for student digz), your weekly collection will take place on Wednesday; however, it is always good to visit the Swansea City Council website (https://www.swansea.gov.uk/recyclingsearch) to double check both the day of your collection and whether it’s a pink or green week.
Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just putting all of your bags out each week – you need to know your limits. Whilst you can put out an unlimited number of green, pink or food bags (providing it’s on the correct week), you’re not so lucky when it comes to black bags – where you are limited to three. If you find yourself with more, don’t leave them hanging around though, get them to your local amenity site.
Where is your local amenity site, I hear you ask? You can head to Derwen Fawr, post code SA2 8DU, or Llansamlet, post code SA6 8QN. However, make sure you plan ahead, as due to COVID restrictions they may require advanced booking and there may be restrictions in place to safeguard residents and staff from the coronavirus outbreak.
3. Know how to get more bags
There are a few ways you can get your hands on some bags when you start to run out. The most convenient way to get green, pink and food bags is by utilising the re-order tag inside each roll. Place these on your bag on collection day and get replacement bags delivered to your door – all from the comfort of your own home!
If you forget to request new ones, no worries, plenty of places stock them. If you live in Brynmill, try Kays Convenience Store (SA2 0HS), Uplands News (SA2 0HD) or the Lifestyle Express (SA1 4LX). Are you closer to the City Centre? Head to Tesco Express (SA1 3EZ) or the University of Wales Trinity St David’s Students Union (SA1 5DU). Perhaps Mount Pleasant is easier – if so, Londis (SA1 6JQ) will have what you need. If Swansea University’s Main Reception (Fulton House) is more convenient you can pick up additional food bins and waste bags there.
Finally, garden waste bags can be found at your local library or housing office – but with many of them closed you may find it easier to order them for £2 each online.
Sorted!
Now you know what you can recycle, where to find collection information and where to take any left-over rubbish. The bottom line – you cannot leave your rubbish outside your house and hope that it eventually disappears, so get sorting!
