I've heard that the council are going to start putting green lids on grey refuse bins as well to change them into recycling bins, is this true?

Yes this is true!

Lewisham Council are going to be giving 20,000 residents in the borough new
180 litre refuse bins and turning their existing refuse bins into recycling bins by replacing the lids with green ones.

For those residents with recycling boxes, the council will be modifying existing refuse bins to become a recycling bin.

The reason that the council are doing this is to encourage residents to recycle more items and reduce the amount of refuse they produce. In 2007, Lewisham ran a highly successful trial and carried out a project similar to this one, targeting 1500 houses. The results were that none of the residents who received the smaller bins requested that they were taken back and recycling also increased in this area by 69%.

Sounds a bit confusing? this is what it looks like in practice:

If you already have a grey bin and a green box this is what will happen....

If you already have a Grey bin and a Green bin this is what will happen....

Here are a few pre-prepared FAQ's that might answer some of your questions:

Why did I not receive a completely new recycling bin? Lewisham Council strives to be economically efficient while providing a quality service. Refuse bins in good condition only require a new lid. They are also much less expensive than whole bin replacement.

Will my waste fit into the new smaller refuse bin?
If you recycle everything you can in Lewisham, there will be room for non recyclable refuse. In 2007, Lewisham ran a highly successful trial where out of the 1500 houses that received smaller bins there were no requests for the return of the 240 litre bin. Recycling also increased in this area by 69%.

What happens to those bins that are taken away? Bins in good condition will be cleaned, have their lid changed to a new green one and become recycling bins for future use. If they are not in good condition, they will be recycled as normal.

Will this effect my collection days?
No, your recycling and refuse collection days will remain the same. You can find out your collection day here.

How will I know if I am going to be receiving a bin? You will receive a postcard informing you if you are part of the changeover. The roll out is due to start on the 2nd April and will start in the south east of the ward.