Welcome to Strabane District Council Online

Technical Services

Technical Services Department is responsible for waste management, including refuse collection, skip hire and bulky waste, street cleansing and litter picking of main road verges. As part of these services two officers are assigned to the education and publicity involved with informing the general public of the need to reduce, reuse and recycle waste and the anti litter campaign.

The department is also responsible for grounds maintenance of recreational play areas and burial grounds including burials and the provision and maintenance of floral displays in towns and villages.

The department is responsible for the provision and maintenance of public conveniences and other minor building maintenance work to Council buildings.

The department is also responsible for the design and implementation of environmental improvement schemes to towns and villages.

There is also a licensing section responsible for dogs, entertainment, amusement permits, petroleum, lotteries and street trading.

Our Technical Services include:

COMPOST AWARENESS WEEK (2-8 MAY 2010)

Home Composting: A guide to getting started

About Composting

Home composting is an easy, feel good activity that you can do in your own garden or even some of the smallest outside spaces. It is great for the environment as it diverts waste from landfill sites. What’s more, it produces a great peat free compost which can be used on flower beds and vegetable plots, for patio planters, hanging baskets and even window boxes.

So, rather than disposing of your organic waste in your rubbish bin, why not start composting at home?

How to get started

· It is easy to start composting at home. You can buy compost bins from the Council at a subsidised price of £5.00 which includes a compost bin, kitchen pail and full instructions. Check out www.recyclenow.com/compost to find out how to get started.

· It is best to site your bin on a level, well-drained spot. This allows excess water to drain out and makes it easier for helpful creatures such as worms to get in and get working on breaking down the contents. Placing your bin in a partially sunny spot can help speed up the composting process.

· Your compost will rely on the right things being put into it to make it work. Good things you can compost include vegetable peelings, fruit waste, teabags, plant prunings and grass cuttings. These are considered “greens.” Greens are quick to rot and they provide important nitrogen and moisture. Other things you can compost include cardboard egg boxes, fallen leaves and even scrunched up newspaper. These are considered “browns” and are slower to rot. They provide fibre and carbon and also allow important air pockets to form in the mixture. Crushed eggshells can be included to add useful minerals.

· There are some things you shouldn’t put in your compost bin. These include cooked vegetables, meat, dairy products, diseased plants, and definitely no dog poo or cat litter, or baby’s nappies.

· You need to keep your greens and browns properly balanced. If your compost is too wet, add more browns. If it’s too dry, add some greens. Adding scrunched up bits of paper is a simple way to create air pockets that will help keep your compost healthy. Air can also be added by mixing the contents. After approximately nine to twelve months your finished compost will be ready.

The finished product

Finished compost is a dark brown, almost black soil-like layer that you’ll find at the bottom of your bin. It has a spongy texture and is rich in nutrients. Some bins have a small hatch at the bottom that you can remove to get at the finished product, but sometimes it’s even easier to lift the bin or to tip it over to get at your compost.

You can use the compost as mulch. Scatter it over flowerbeds and around shrubs to prevent soil erosion and enrich the soil with extra nutrients.

Compost can also be used for planting seeds as bulbs – mix one third compost with one third garden soil and one third sharp sand to improve drainage. For potting more established plants, a combination of half home compost and half garden soil creates a really nutritious planting medium.

You can even use compost to dress your lawn – for a full guide and other tips about composting, check out www.recyclenow.com/compost.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS FOR BLUE BINS

We can now accept additional items in the Blue Bins. They are as follows:-

Junk Mail (No window envelopes)

Envelopes (No window envelopes)

Printed office paper

Cereal cartons

Card packaging

Corrugated card

Phone directories

Catalogues i.e: Argos, Next.

Aerosol cans

Paper-based liquid food and drinks cartons e.g. Tetra Paks

Yogurt pots

Margarine/butter tubs

Clear/black fruit and vegetable trays

Washing tablet containers

Brown and black plastic flower pots/trays

NOTE: All aerosol cans must be empty, all cartons and plastic containers must be empty and washed out and clean.

If you require any further advice or information on recycling please contact Yvonne Lecky at Strabane District Council by phone

028 7138 2204 or e-mail ylecky@strabanedc.com.

Civic Amenity sites are currently located at:

Carricklee- Strabane
Strabane Road- Plumbridge
Berryhill Road- Donemana
Killen Recycling Centre- Killen
Douglas Road- Newtownstewart

Carricklee Opening Hours

Winter: Mon - Sat 9.00am - 4.45pm
Summer: Mon - Fri 9.00am - 6.45pm
Summer: Saturday 9.00am - 4.45pm

Donemana, Newtownstewart, Plumbridge Opening Hours

Winter: Mon - Sat 10.00am - 4.45pm
Summer: Mon - Fri 10.00am - 6.45pm
Summer:Saturday: 10.00am - 4.45pm

Killen Recycling Centre

Mon - Sat 9.00am - 5.45pm

Winter: 1 October - 31 March

Summer: 1 April - 30 September

All sites are closed on Sundays.

You can contact us at: mscott@strabanedc.com