My new kitchen food waste bin was delivered today - but no instructions with it. I have absolutely no idea when collections will start, what day they will be and how often. Although I think this is a great idea, and one I support, I do think it would have been helpful to have some sort of information sheet with it. I now have to go to the trouble of ringing the council to find out the details. Or perhaps someone on Exmouth People can help me?

By Heidi_girl at 00:31 on 20/10/10

Re-post

When I stayed with my brother in Exmouth for 12 days (26 Sep. - 6 Oct) I read the leaflet that had been delivered to his home about the new waste collection service due to start in October. We both agreed it could have been written better with a clear and simple explanation - hopefully the author doesm't also write maintenance manuals for nuclear power stations! My advice to Heidi_girl is to ask a neighbour on what to do - and when - with her new kitchen food waste bin.

By Robin_Smith at 18:03 on 20/10/10
Report
A detailed seven-step guide, entitled "Your New Recycling & Waste Collection Service", should have been delivered to you, along with your new grey food caddy and blue food recycling bin and grey landfill wheelie bin. It's not the easiest document to understand, but it does explain how the new system works, including the food recycling side of things. If you haven't got the guide, call East Devon County Council on 01395 571515 to order it.
In all, you should now have:
1) a grey indoor food caddy
2) a blue outdoor food bin
3) a green recycling box
4) a grey landfill wheelie bin - or green gull-proof sack if you live in the centre of Exmouth - to take your landfill waste.
If you are missing any of the four items, call 01395 571515 to order the missing item. The seven-step guide explains how you use the items and the correct collections days for your recycling. Hope that's helpful.

By TheGreenMan at 11:05 on 21/10/10
Report
Thank you GreenMan - yes, very helpful thank you. I certainly don't remember receiving an instruction guide, and neither does my neighbour. However I will give the County Council a ring as you suggest - thanks for the number. From what you and Robin say it sounds as if the guide is complicated - when I was visiting a different area recently my friend had been provided with a colour coded calendar which showed clearly when to leave which bin out.

By Heidi_girl at 00:05 on 23/10/10
Report
East Devon District Council now have a web page on the refuse collection service - http://tinyurl.com/32ygaoy It has several FAQs and a search box near bottom of the page that allows you to check your collection but (at the moment) it merely comes up with a list of addresses that have the same post code! Highlight your address and click on 'View Property Details and it gives your full postal adress AND a promise that details of collection days will be online soon. Also gives Council telephone numbers to contact in the interim. (The information is to be found at the bottom of the page for which most users will have to scroll down.)

By Robin_Smith at 11:18 on 23/10/10
Report
Hi Heidi girl. Yes, if you phone 01395 571515 and order the detailed instruction guide, all will become clearer.
Essentially, your green recycling box and your blue food outdoor bin go out every week, on a set day. The grey landfill bin – or green gull-proof sack if you've been supplied with one – go out every fortnight on the same day as the recycling. The instruction guide lists all the grey bin collection dates for 2010 and up to October 2011. The council has increased what can be put in your green recycling box, btw. This now includes plastic bottles, which is helpful. Irritatingly you cannot put cardboard into your green recycling box. You have to take this to the recycling unit yourself or put it in the grey bin for landfill (not good).

By TheGreenMan at 11:20 on 23/10/10
Report
The URL referred to in my post at 11.18 threw up an error when I tried it as if the page does not exist! This is the web page address again - http://tinyurl.com/2f2fzbq - if it doesn't work use http://tinyurl.com/2fztoh5 and then extend it by typing in recycling_and_refuse.htm.

By Robin_Smith at 11:28 on 23/10/10
Report