South Derbyshire District Council is encouraging Swadlincote residents to continue to use their green bin for recycled materials following the decision to close the recycling sites in the district.

Councillors say they made the decision to close the recycling sites because of the high levels of contamination which means the materials which should be recycled were, instead being sent for disposal.

Most recycled items can be placed in the main part of the green bin, which is collected every two weeks including: empty aerosols, clean foil, food tins and cans, glass bottles and jars, margarine tubs, yoghurt pots, fruit and vegetable punnets, plastic bottles.

Other items can be placed in the inner caddy inside the green bin, including: paper, junk mail, newspapers, cardboard, phone directories and magazines.

The council says there are too many of these items to fit in the green bin or the caddy, residents can put the extra recycling into a small box and leave this at the side of the green bin on collection day.

Paper and card items should be kept separate from the glass, metal and plastic items.

These items will be collected as part of the usual collection.

Councillor Steve Taylor, Chair of South Derbyshire District Council's Environment and Development Services Committee, said: "In order to meet our target of recycling 60 per cent of recyclable materials by 2024, we are encouraging people to continue to recycle as much as possible in their green bin collections.

"We will collect extra recycling on the usual green bin collection dates. If people have extra recycling, we ask them to continue to separate their recycling as they would do if they were putting it in their green bin."

The recycling sites in South Derbyshire are due to close from 1 October. They are located at:

• Bass's Crescent, Castle Gresley
• Station Road, Hatton
• Main Street, Hilton
• High Street, Melbourne
• Lime Tree Avenue, Midway
• Ingleby Lane, Ticknall
• Twyford Road, Willington.

Councillors made the decision to close these sites following repeated contaminated recycled materials, high levels of anti-social behaviour at the sites, particularly fly-tipping and broken glass.

Councillor Taylor added: "The recycling sites in South Derbyshire have been constantly misused and the fact that the much of the recycling was being contaminated meant many of the recycled materials was sent for disposal rather than being recycled.

"This meant that people who were using the sites responsibly to recycle their recyclable materials were wasting their time due to the actions of the minority.

"There were also high mileage journeys for the companies emptying the bins, some from as far away as Leeds.

"Closing these sites will mean the Council will be better able to achieve its environmental commitments as well as making it easier and simpler to residents to recycle."

The decision was taken to close the recycling sites following consultation with 13,000 residents living nearby with only 401 residents responding (172 in favour of closure and 220 objecting).

As well as recycling using their green bins, residents can continue to take items to the Household Waste Recycling Centre at Newhall run by Derbyshire County Council.

There are more than 50 sites in South Derbyshire where people can take their used textiles for recycling. Old clothes can also be donated to charity shops.

The Council also offers a trade waste collection service (including recycling) for local businesses. More information is available at HERE.