Recycling - Lets Sort It!

Recycle Your Coffee Pods

From 1st October Wiltshire Council will be offering coffee pod recycling at its household recycling centres (HRCs) in partnership with Podback.

Aluminium and plastic coffee pods, used in pod system coffee machines, should be collected separately and taken to HRCs on residents' next trip and deposited in the separate plastic and aluminium Podback recycling bins.

Plastic and aluminium pods need to be collected separately, as they are recycled at different facilities. All the pods collected by Podback are recycled in the UK. They are shredded to remove the coffee, then the plastic and aluminium are used to create new products, including packaging, car components and building products. The coffee grounds will be treated by anaerobic digestion to create renewable energy (biogas) and soil improver.

Paint reuse scheme

Thinking about refreshing your home in 2024?

Check out the paint reuse scheme at your local household recycling centre (HRC) and browse the free water-based paint that is on offer.

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Check out this article by Recycle Now for more tips.

Monthly Myth Buster

This month we are introducing monthly myth busters, where we will give you clear answers to common myths about recycling and waste.

Myth – Wiltshire’s household waste goes to landfill.

Fact – We divert 60,000 tonnes of household waste per year to Northacre Resource Recovery Centre in Westbury which converts this waste into a fuel. We also divert 50,000 tonnes of household waste to Lakeside Energy from Waste (EfW) facility in Slough. This converts the waste into energy.

Learn more about what happens to Wiltshire’s waste here.

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Recycling tip of the month

Broken mirrors, pyrex and drinking glasses can’t be recycled at kerbside due to the materials they are made from and because they have different melting points.

You can recycle these at your nearest household recycling centre.

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Book reuse scheme

We have introduced a book reuse scheme at all our household recycling centres. The scheme allows you to donate or collect good quality books which are suitable to be reused. Keep an eye out for the separate container or ask a member of staff to direct you.

Weather disruptions

With the recent heavy rainfall along with the colder weather, we wanted to remind you that you can keep up to date with any service disruptions such as delays to collections on our website.

Waste and recycling collection service disruption - Wiltshire Council

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Lack of Banking Faclities in Calne Should be Redressed during 2024

LINK, the UK’s cash access and ATM network, revealed Calne will be the latest town to be allocated a new banking hub.

The new banking hub, which has been requested by Calne Town Councillor Michael Hudstone will be a shared banking space providing similar facilities to a traditional branch and will be open to all. Premises have yet to be identified but the search will begin in the next few weeks and is hopehully to be opening in 2024 A site for the new banking hub has not yet beenn identified

Calne had it's last traditional high street close in the pandemic and ATM machine numbers significantly dwindling in numbers. The population of Calne is now the fourth largest in Wiltshire so the banking hub will be a great step forward to cater for the growing number of vulnerable residents who struggle to cope with the online-only methods of banking that most of the banks are now relying on when connecting with their customers. Banks will provide staff to advise customers on a rotational basis. LINK's latest announcement is part of a wider commitment to protecting access to cash, Chris Ashton, the head of banking services at LINK, believes the facility will provide a vital service for residents. He said: “Access to cash and face-to-face banking services continues to be important for millions of people across the UK." “Not everyone is able to go digital yet, so we’re pleased to announce new cash services to support Calne.

The scheme has also received back from James Gray, the MP for North Wiltshire. He added: "I am delighted that Calne has secured a banking hub, this follows the news that Royal Wotton Bassett has also secured such a facility. Banking hubs and banks provide important access to cash for the communities that they serve especially in rural areas. I know that this news will be welcomed by Calne residents, and I look forward to working with LINK to see the hub open soon.”

Keep up-to-date with improvement works

Contractors working on behalf are carrying out road resurfacing and associated works in a number of towns across Wiltshire.

You can also see the full list of all roadworks taking place in the county by visiting the One Network map and typing 'Wiltshire' into the search box.

Click on link to see 'One Network'

Council updates on closure of B4069 Lyneham Banks

ANNUAL VILLAGE MEETING

This years village meeting was held yesterday (17th May) and was attended by 21 village residents

As well as a chance to air their views on local matters to Parish Councillors there were free drinks and nibbles and a very entertaining and informative lecture arranged by our resident bee keeper, Cllr Julian Barlow, given by one of the leading Bee Keepers in the UK – Richard Rickets – Editor of the national BeeCraft Magazine.

Richard lives in Corsham and, as well as writing about bees, looks after the apiary at Westonbirt Arboretum and has interviewed the Master Bee Keeper at Buckingham Palace. He had some interesting insights to share on bees in Wiltshire, their impact on farming, flora and fauna. It was a very interesting and informative evening. I look forward to the next one in 2024

WHEN THE THREE NORTHS COMBINE

The market town of Calne is about to find itself at the centre of an historic alignment that has never happened before in recorded history!

Late last year, geospatial history was made when true north, magnetic north and grid north combined at a single point in Great Britain for the first time ever.

They first made landfall over the village of Langton Matravers, just west of Swanage in early November and they will stay converged on Great Britain for the next three and a half years as the alignment slowly travels up the country.

According to calculations made by Ordnance Survey, magnetic north, true north and grid north are about to pass through Calne for the first time this month. After always being to the west of grid north in Great Britain the last few years have seen magnetic north move to the other side of grid north. The change started in 2014 at the very tip of Cornwall and is slowly moving west to east across the country. It is now reaching the ‘special line’ and will incredibly converge with the other two ‘norths’ for the first time in recorded history.

Dr Susan Macmillan, of the BGS geomagnetism team, said: “This is a once in a lifetime occurrence." “Due to the unpredictability of the magnetic field on long timescales it’s not possible to say when the alignment of the three norths will happen again.”

Mark Greaves, Earth Measurement Expert at Ordnance Survey, said: “It is no exaggeration to say that this is a one-off event that has never happened before. “Magnetic north moves slowly so it is likely going to be several hundred years before this alignment comes around again.

For further details of this unique and hitoric alignment, go to The Gazett & Herald