“PLEASE keep your recycling dry”.
That’s the message from Wokingham Borough Council leader John Halsall as heavy rain blights the borough for the next four days.
The council has ordered new recycling sacks to replace the black boxes, but these are not expected to arrive on residents’ doorsteps until January.
They are needed as a result of changes to the world recycling markets: countries that accept waste for processing no longer want wet cardboard and paper as it makes it harder to sort.
The new sacks have velcro tabs to help keep the waste dry.
But in the meantime, the council wants residents to do everything they can to ensure the recycling in their black boxes stays as dry as possible.
Rain is forecast for most of today (Saturday), all day on Sunday and with showers on Monday and Tuesday. This means that doorstep collections between Monday and Wednesday could be contaminated if residents leave their waste out overnight on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Cllr Halsall said: “Please keep your waste dry – put your paper out on the day of collection, and put the blue bag on top of the boxes.
“We are awaiting our new system, regrettably this won’t be until January and is a consequence of the call-in.”
The call-in was a process where opposition councillors request that a decision made by Wokingham Borough Council’s executive committee is then discussed at a meeting of the overview and scrutiny committee, which was held in August.