A NEW free bulky waste collection service has been launched across Reading by the Borough Council, allowing carless residents to more easily dispose of their unwanted goods.
The £250,000 investment means all households can book a slot once every six months, and up to three items can be collected, or one fridge freezer.
Items that can be picked up from homes include beds, bicycles, cots, cookers, tables and tumble dryers.
It’s part of a council plan to tackle fly-tipping and reduce the number of trips to the re3 centre.
There are 80 slots open per week – 16 per weekday, and can be up to 14 days in advance.
Reading Borough Council said it expects demand to be high and requests residents to be patient and check back again another day to book their slot if none are available.
In addition to the free service, residents who need more collections than the one free one per six months are able to also book paid for collection slots, starting at £52.50 for three items.
Three items – or one if it is a fridge or freezer – can be left at the kerbside on the day of the booking.
Reading Borough Council is also urging residents to think about the life cycle of their items and where possible to always think to reuse and recycle, and use upcycling websites to help dispose of them.
Cllr Karen Rowland, Lead Councillor for Environmental Services and Community Safety at Reading Borough Council, said the scheme would make an enormous difference to households.
“As we look to encourage sustainable transport, fewer people have vehicles to get items to the re3 centre easily. For those with cars, we hope this will also reduce the number of trips they need to make to re3 – all steps towards our net zero carbon ambitions by 2030,” she said.
“The helpful and easy to use scheme also reiterates that there is absolutely no excuse for fly tipping, which is a blight on our borough that degrades the quality of life for all residents and is a problem that we are tackling head on.”
And she said the service was expected to be very popular from launch.
“Those who book straight away unable to book again for six months, you will get your chance to make use of the service,” she said.
“There is also a paid-for service available, along with other options such as freecycling sites and charity shops to help you dispose of unwanted items.”
To book a slot, log on to www.reading.gov.uk/bulkywaste. Residents who do not have internet access can book by telephone with the Council’s call centre on 0118 937 3787.
