Good news!

Residents in Elmbridge can now recycle their food & drinks cartons nearer to home (these are the difficult Tetrapak, Elopak etc. cartons for soup, fruit juice, non-dairy milk, & paper cups). These cannot currently go in our blue lidded bins because their composition makes them so difficult to recycle. For some time Elmbridge Borough Council (EBC) has been negotiating with a recycling provider to persuade them to provide recycling banks once again. The good news is they are now here! 

Elmbridge Liberal Democrats have played a huge role in negotiating this exciting agreement & bringing carton recycling facilities inside the borough, especially our Weybridge councillor, Cllr Ashley Tilling.

As part of their New Waste Strategy, the Government is working with the producers of packaging to improve recycling. As an interim measure EBC are allowing the packaging organisation to place one bank in each of the two car parks close to the Walton (Mayfield Road) & Weybridge train stations. This will be a trial and we will communicate with the company over the next 3-6 month, so they can demonstrate the level of environmental benefits of the scheme when considering the quantities collected, as well as the transport and carbon emissions involved. We want to ensure the initiative is proven to be carbon neutral and hope this preliminary trial will be successful.

Surrey County Council (SCC) provide a wide range of waste facilities for Elmbridge residents at the community recycling facility (CRC) at Charlton Lane (and Randalls Road, Leatherhead). Here residents can take used oil, car batteries and a long list of other materials (that Elmbridge Council does not collect including cartons). 

The facility provided at Charlton Lane offers carton banks equally for Elmbridge & Spelthorne residents. Spelthorne Council does not provide its own banks (as was the case until now in Elmbridge) – it directs residents to the CRC.  

The trade association lists the SCC facility at Charlton Lane & other CRCs in Surrey.

Recycling reduces CO2 emissions in the supply chain and ensures our waste is recycled responsibly.

Elmbridge Liberal Democrat Leader & portfolio holder for the Environment Cllr Mary Marshall says:

“This bring bank trial is a great opportunity for Elmbridge residents to recycle their cartons responsibly nearer to home & further reduce their carbon footprint. I hope we can prove the trial a success and residents will find the banks a helpful asset to their recycling efforts”. 

Please:

• Use the banks as per COVID restrictions.

• Wash, Squash and Cap your cartons to maximise the numbers that can be collected.

• Do not: put any other waste in the banks, such as paper, glass, or cans.

• Do not: leave any cartons next to the banks if they are full (this is fly tipping which is illegal & an additional cost to our council) You can take them to a CRC details above.

Please pass this message to friends and neighbours so that they too can add to their recycling efforts. 

Carton recycling bank at Weybridge Station

Cllr Mary Marshall (Portfolio Holder for Environment)
Elmbridge Liberal Democrats