Recycling bags are at a premium in South Holland after a problem with the supplier.
A machine breakdown has left the district council with no rolls to give out at pick-up points including its offices in Spalding and Long Sutton Market House.
However, the local authority has managed to maintain its twice-yearly drops of bags at the district’s 38,200 households.
The shortage is being particularly harshly felt at the Priory Road headquarters where supplies ran out several weeks ago.
A frequent stream of people pick up bags to supplement the 52 they receive at home annually – a situation the council would not want to discourage during its ongoing drive to increase levels of recycling. One week this year the reception handed out more than 5,000 bags.
The green bag shortage has unfortunately coincided with an increase in demand. In the two months after the council launched its recycling rewards scheme – Green Bag Lottery – in February, the tonnage collected rose by more than 12 per cent.
Coun Roger Gambba-Jones, portfolio holder for waste management, said: “It demonstrates that people are extremely keen to recycle and what I would say to people is please don’t let this glitch put you off.”
He said a contingency plan had been put in place to supply plain green bags to large recyclers such as schools and he urged everybody to use recycling bags for the intended purpose and correctly present them for collection.
“It’s very frustrating when you see people use green bags to fly-tip,” he said.
Rolls of green bags are also made available for collection at libraries throughout South Holland.
The council said: “Green bag deliveries have been continuing across the district at all times and this supply line has been our focus.
“From June 16 low stocks due to supplier issues meant we couldn’t maintain bag availability at local offices and libraries; we have let residents know they can present recycling in other bags except black, cardboard boxes, and carrier bags.”
The supply problem is expected to be solved within the next few days.
