Getting a handle on waste collection in the Ribble Valley

Ribble Valley Council has revealed that each of the council’s seven refuse collection crews empty around 1,000 wheeled bins a day, each weighing up to 100 kilos, and householders can give them a hand by ensuring the bin handles are facing the roadside.

Chair of the council’s community services committee, Coun Stuart Carefoot, said: “When the handles of wheeled bins are facing the roadside, the refuse collectors are able to empty the bins safely and quickly, ensuring the service is efficient for households and safe for collectors.

“It’s one small way in which we can work together as a community to ensure our refuse collection service remains one of the most popular and successful in Lancashire.”

The move comes after the council was praised by the Government for its weekly refuse collection service – many authorities collect fortnightly or even every three weeks – and cited as an example of best practice.

The council also offers a weekly kerbside waste paper and cardboard collection and free white sacks are available by phoning 01200 425111.