Paper and Card Trial

Over 7,500 homes in Boston, North Kesteven and South Holland will take part in a separate paper and cardboard collection trial this Autumn. The year-long trial, run by the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership (opens new window) , aims to boost the quality and amount of paper and card recycled. This scheme gives us the opportunity to do something differently so we can improve the quality of our recycling so it can be fully recycled.

The reason for the trial is that the present method for collecting recycling (all in one bag) means that the vast majority of paper and card we collect is contaminated by the other items in the recycling bags, 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 bag, it will be kept clean and dry, so it will be recycled rather than being lost because of the contamination. 

It is important that the trial establishes key evidence to support how best we can move forward with future waste collections in Lincolnshire. Therefore two of the areas will trial having an additional wheelie bin and South Holland will trial using a plastic sack. From this we can establish what impacts there are on contamination and moisture, both of which have consequences for the recyclability of the paper and card, based on the evidence from districts collecting through alternative methods.

The emptied plastic sacks will be sent to our Energy from Waste facility where they will be used to generate electricity.

Over 7,500 homes in Boston, North Kesteven and South Holland will take part in a separate paper and cardboard collection trial this Autumn. These areas have been chosen to represent a wide spread of the types of households across the whole of Lincolnshire in order to allow us to learn what works well and how we can take the outcomes of the trial and use this knowledge to help us understand our future waste options for Lincolnshire.

If your house has not been identified as part of the trial area unfortunately we cannot include you directly in the trial at this time however, if you would like to separate your paper and card you are able to take this to one of the Household Waste Recycling Centres which have separate containers for paper and card.

The trial started in September 2019. Throughout the time of operation we will be monitoring the trial to see what difference it is making.

All paper (except shredded paper or tissues) and cardboard can be put into your paper and card bag but it must be clean and dry with NO food residue.

No, your collection day will remain the same, but your paper and card will be collected on alternate weeks to the rest of your recycling. Your black sack waste will continue to be collected weekly, please check your collection days to see a full calendar of collection dates in your area.

The overall volume of the recycling that we collect from you will not change, it will just be the frequency of the collection that is different. We will still be using the same vehicles and crews to collect your purple bags. Households in the trial will receive details of what materials will be collected on each day which can also be found by using the check your collection days tool.

We have given you what we think is sufficient to start the trial, if you are a keen recycler we will support you if you require more sacks throughout the trial period and you should contact our Customer Contact team who will be able to assist you. We will regularly monitor the number of sacks collected which will then help us to average the number of sacks households will need in future. If you have larger amounts of excess paper or cardboard, please visit your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.

Please check the calendar that was sent out to you or check your collection days.

We cannot collect bags that contain wrong materials. Wrong materials can contaminate the load and make it unsuitable for recycling. Bags will have stickers placed on them and will not be collected until next relevant scheduled collection when you must have removed the items not suitable for recycling. If in doubt please check our Recycling Guide.

No. We can only collect paper and cardboard that is in a purple sack as they must remain dry. If you have large amounts of cardboard, please visit your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.

If your paper or cardboard is wet, they will stick together, therefore they are unable to be separated and cannot be recycled.

Yes, during the trial, paper and cardboard won't be accepted in your current green recycling bag. It will only be accepted in the purple bags.

For all new ventures, we need to firstly invest in the required containers, materials and collection methods which we estimate to be £200,000 across the County for the duration of the trial. However, this initial investment should be recouped within 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 trial, we can reduce the amount of miles it travels before being fully recycled and consequently our carbon footprint.

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

Your recycling bags containing plastics, metals, glass and paper and card have been sent to our contractor to sort. By separating your paper and card into a single purple bag 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 bag, it will be kept clean and dry, so it will be recycled rather than being lost because of the contamination. 

No. If you are part of our Garden Waste Scheme your garden waste collection days will remain the same. Visit the garden waste collections page.

Drop-in events for residents within the trial areas to ask questions and find out more information about the paper and card trial took place in September 2019. There are currently no plans to hold further drop-in events.