Councillors set to approve closure of recycling bring bank sites

Shropshire Council is to close and remove its recycling bring bank sites if the move is approved by the council’s Cabinet next week.

The 120 sites are typically located in public, village hall and pub car parks and ninety per cent of materials collected at the sites can be recycled from the kerbside.

The removal of the sites would save the council £237,000 a year, increase the quality of material sent for recycling, help reduce and littering at the sites, and increase of car parking spaces.

The proposals don’t affect banks provided by private organisations on private land

A six-week consultation into the proposals ended earlier this year and councillors are now being recommended to approve the closure.

Lezley Picton, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for waste management, said:

“This proposal supports our aim to balance our budget in 2019/20 by making savings whilst minimising the impact on our recycling service, and on service users. We thank everyone that took part in our consultation, especially those who raised concerns, and I’m satisfied that all these concerns have been or will be addressed

"It’s important to stress that there are established alternatives for householders in terms of kerbside recycling collections, and alternative charity and commercial bring bank services for textiles. Removal of the sites would also provide a range of benefits, including reducing flytipping and improving the quality of waste sent for recycling.”

The consultation ran from 14 December 2018 to 25 January 2019 and could be filled in online or via a paper form. A total of 270 formal responses were received, plus seven letters/emails from town councils and parish councils.

If the recommendations are agreed the sites are set to close this spring.