NEW recycling services are being introduced by West Devon Borough Council next month. The fortnightly garden waste and bulky card scheme is being extended to take in around 2,500 new households in Chillaton, Exbourne, Hatherleigh, Lewdown, Lifton, Lamerton and Milton Abbot. A further new service — the Saturday bring service — is being introduced in some of the more remote areas of West Devon where residents can bring their garden waste and thick card to a recycling vehicle to be taken away for composting. Both services feature in a new recycling guide which is being sent to all 22,500 households in West Devon over the coming weeks, giving details on all recycling services in the borough, as well as top tips on how to minimise waste. The new kerbside collections will start during the first half of April. All new participating households are being issued with two 90-litre bags and a leaflet giving information on what can go into the bags and collection dates for the next nine months. The new initiative now means the service regularly collects from around 13,000 households in the borough. Already the service is available in Bere Alston, Bridestowe, Buckland, Crapstone, Dousland, Horrabridge, Lydford, Mary Tavy, Princetown, Okehampton, Tavistock and Yelverton. The card and garden waste is composted together at a farm in West Devon. Last year the council collected 1,400 tonnes — equivalent to 100 fully laden double decker buses! The new Saturday bring service for garden waste and thick card is being introduced in some areas which currently do not receive the kerbside collection. All residents have to do is bring along their garden waste and thick card in suitable bags — old compost bags are ideal — to special collection points where a recycling vehicle and crew will be on hand to take it away for composting. From 9.30am to 2pm, the vehicle and crew will be at Leg-O-Mutton car park in Yelverton on Saturday April 14, Northlew Square on Saturday April 21 and South Zeal Recreation Ground car park on Saturday April 28. Roadshows are being held at each of the new sites where residents can meet the council's recycling officers and pick up a free reuseable garden waste bag too. Andy Barron, the borough's waste education officer, said: 'This is really good news for the borough. Of course, alongside these new and improved services, we must not forget home composting — watch out for our home composting roadshows which will be travelling around in the summer.' For further information call 01822 813600.
