THE first lorry load of recycling bins arrived in South Ockendon yesterday as the roll-out of Thurrock Council’s new waste and recycling scheme began.

Councillor Mike Revell, the cabinet member for Environment, was at Broxburn Drive to ensure the operation went smoothly.

As teams of workers unloaded the brown and blue recycling bins council recycling advisors distributed leaflets to every home and talked to local people about the new scheme.

Councillor Revell himself took a hands on approach and rolled up his sleeves to help pensioner Tony Gadsden transfer his garden waste from his old green bag into his new brown bin.

Cllr Revell said: “It seemed to work very smoothly. There were plenty of questions, but everybody I spoke to was generally in favour of the programme which will see massive increases in recycling and composting in Thurrock and therefore with a corresponding reduction in landfill.

“One resident was concerned because he will really struggle to move the bins when they’re full.

“I helped him move his garden waste from the green sack to the brown bin and explained about our assisted collection service.”

He added: “Another wanted smaller residual waste bins, but he understood the difficulties and expense when I told him that having differing sized bins would greatly increase the costs to residents.

“This is a new system that will give us a cleaner, greener Thurrock.”

The delivery of the two new bins to homes will continue across the borough until mid-December.

Each household will receive a blue bin for recyclable waste to replace their old blue box, and a brown bin which is for kitchen and garden waste to replace their green sacks.

The green wheelie bins which take non-recyclable waste will not be replaced.

It is hoped that the new three bin system will reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill, which will in turn reduce the amount of landfill tax that residents have to pay.

You can find out when your street is due to get the new bins by going online to http://www.thurrock.gov.uk/waste/content.php?page=3bin.