Residents urged to check ‘what waste goes where’

Cheshire East Council is urging residents to check ‘what waste goes where’ following an incident at the borough’s waste transfer site on Saturday 30 October.

A gas canister that had been collected from around the borough in the residual waste stream exploded, causing a loud bang to be heard nearby.

Fortunately, no-one was injured, and the incident was dealt with quickly before emergency services arrived.

Councillor Mick Warren, chair of Cheshire East Council’s environment and communities committee, said: “I am pleased to say that due to the robust safety measures in place at our waste transfer site that this incident was dealt with very quickly by Ansa employees.

“A full investigation is continuing but it is now known that the bang was caused by a gas canister that had been in the residual waste stream and then entered the waste sorting process. 

“The council and our environmental services company, Ansa, takes the safety of its workforce and residents very seriously and I urge households to follow information on the council’s website if they are unsure about what waste goes where.

“Gas canisters of any size should never be placed in household waste or recycling bins.”

Ansa’s waste education teams are actively engaged with communities across Cheshire East and regularly deliver workshops to promote the ‘3 R’s’ of waste – reduce, reuse and recycle.

This includes information about what waste can and cannot be placed inside residents’ wheelie bins and the types of waste that can be extremely hazardous if binned, such as batteries or aerosols containing hazardous liquids or gases.

For more information about what waste goes where, visit the council's waste and recycling webpages.

You can also follow @AnsaServices on Twitter or @AnsaEnvironmental on Facebook for more advice and information about waste and recycling.