13 October 2008Sevenoaks District Council carries out a weekly collection of domestic waste from 46,500 households, utilising a kerbside collection system. Clear plastic recycling sacks (also known as survival sacks) for all dry recyclable materials, and traditional black sacks for non-recyclable waste are collected on the same day, separated.
Before reading on, view a video of how the kerbside collection service works.
In some parts of the District, black sacks are collected by one vehicle, and clear sacks by a second vehicle. But in many areas we now use new, split-body vehicles whereby crews can collect both black and clear sacks at the same time. Sacks are place in separate compartments in the vehicle so that the recycled material is not contaminated by contents of the black sacks.
All refuse sacks are provided by the Council and delivered to every household by a special sack delivery crew. A roll of 20 black rubbish sacks and 25 clear recycling sacks are delivered to every household, every 20 weeks. Additional sacks (up to two each per household per week) can be obtained free of charge from Council offices or purchased as full rolls from various outlets (
PDF 88K file details) in the District. At 50 pence per roll (about 1/2 of actual cost) it is handy to have an extra roll of sacks if you know that your household will often use more than 1 recycling sack per week.
In addition to a weekly domestic waste collection, Sevenoaks District Council offers residents a variety of recycling services. These are outlined below, and in greater detail by following the many links you will find on this site.
Statutory recycling targets
The Council's recycling target for household waste - including garden waste for composting - was 30% for the 2006/2007 financial year, which ended on 31 March 2007. Funded mostly by our own resources, the Council's expanding recycling services have resulted in annual gains of 18%, 34.5%, 11% and 8.6% respectively over the past four years.
For the year ending 31 March 2007, the District's household waste recycling rate was 30.24%, a fraction above its statutory target of 30% but well above the average for England, 27%. A warm thanks to all residents for their part in helping us get so close!
How we are doing now ( PDF 14K file details)?
For the year ending 31 March 2007, the District's household waste recycling rate was 30.24%, with the goal of being steadily at 35% by the end of the 2007/2008 financial year in March 2008.
Our 2007 to 2008 Priorities
No one element of a waste management strategy will guarantee that a local authority meets its statutory recycling targets. So with the continued support of the District's residents we hope to reach our recycling targets with a combination of the following services:
Kerbside collection of dry recyclables - Now serving all District households, we plan to:
Kerbside collection of compostable garden waste - At the end of March 2008 we collected 2,930 tonnes of garden waste from District households, 6% of all the household waste collected in FY 07/08.
Kerbside collection of recyclable white goods - As part of the Council's fortnightly 'bulky collection' service, white goods are collected at kerbside from households for a fee of £11.50 per appliance (£29.00 for American-style fridge freezers). Cookers, hobs and ovens, dishwashers, freezers, fridges, fridge-freezers, tumble dryers, and washing machines are taken by a Sevenoaks District Council vehicle to Kent County Council for recovery and proper disposal. In 2007/2008, 72 tonnes of such material were collected. You can call the Council's help line on 01732 227000 to book a collection.
Recycling sites - Modify most sites and expand the number of sites to increase volume of materials not collected at kerbside, with a particular emphasis on glass.
Expand our linkages and support of non-Council recycling efforts (i.e., Oxfam, British Heart Foundation, European Shoe Co. & The Salvation Army) avoiding duplication, where possible.
