Craven residents are being urged to check their new refuse and recycling collection calendars as a new system comes into force on April 1, 2017.

Collection days are changing for a number of residents, and collections will start at a slightly earlier time of 6.30am.

The blue bag system is being abolished, and paper and cardboard will be collected in the blue bins instead with blue bin collections increased to fortnightly.

Leaflets informing residents of the changes have been sent out with council tax bills and residents should now have received a further information pack including new collection calendars.

Paul Ellis, Director of Services at Craven District Council, said: “We would advise residents to check their new collection calendars and ensure that their bins are left out on the correct days.

“The new system being introduced means the collection methodology will be simplified, and removes the need for us to distribute and collect blue bags, which residents told us were unpopular.

“We hope these new collection arrangements will be more convenient for residents and will encourage people to recycle more.”

The blue bag system was introduced in 2009, at which time it was more economically beneficial to recycle materials separately.

The final blue bag collections are taking place in the week beginning March 27, 2017, and blue bags will no longer be collected after March 31, 2017.

Blue bags cannot be recycled but residents are advised that they can either find another use for them, or dispose of them in the green bin.

From April 1, materials that can be placed in the blue recycling bin include newspapers and magazines, paper and cardboard, glass bottles and jars, food tins, drink cans and empty aerosols, cartons, and certain types of plastic bottles including milk bottles, shampoo bottles, washing up liquid bottles, cosmetic bottles and pop or drinks bottles.

Residents are asked to rinse and squash materials before placing them in the bin. Bins which contain the wrong materials will not be emptied.

Properties which do not currently have a blue bin can request one free of charge, either online at www.cravendc.gov.uk/recycling or by calling Customer Services on 01756 700600. Residents who have limited storage can request recycling pods.