I say southwark - fortnightly bin collections

[trizza]

We are part of the pilot at the moment. Despite being sceptical, I think it has worked well. One thing we have found is that it is the non-food waste recycling that is overflowing within one week, so it's disappointing that the council have opted to reduce the frequency of the collections. What is the rationale behind this change?

[binary_star]

We are part if the pilot also. Our non food recycling needs to be collected weekly. General rubbish could probably go a month if it weren't for the smell/hygiene tbh.

[Siduhe]

James can you clarify - I may not be quite be understanding this properly:

Today Southwark Council announced that all non food waste and recycling will be collected fortnightly from homes that face onto streets - street properties - from the start of the autumn. Effectively an extension of the food waste pilot scheme from 10,000 homes to 47,000 homes while reducing the frequency of collecting recycled stuff from weekly to fortnightly along with the regular waste going fortnightly.

So does that mean that all houses that face onto the streets are going onto the food waste scheme?

Or for those of us not on the pilot does it mean that our normal rubbish collections stay the same (mixed food and non food waste) and recycling only goes fortnightly? If so, as long as we can have a wheelie bin and/or mix up our recycling, it would be ok for most people.

If the plan is to put everyone on fortnightly collections (which is what I think you mean), even those who are on mixed food/non food waste and not on the pilot scheme, that's going to be a massive issue. Food waste needs to be collected weekly - wasn't that one of the core features of the pilot scheme?

[James Barber]

Hi trizza, binary_star,

The rationale is saving money. I'm not clear yet if this is a net saving after paying for 47,000 recycling wheelie bins or gross before paying for them of ?375,000 over 3 years or ?2.65pa per involved household or 5p per week. I also fear that frotnightly recyclnig will mean less inclination to recycle. If it deters 38kg of recyclnig for a household per annum then it will cost more in landfill than saving in collections. Again no information yet on the life cycle management costs of this option and nothing presetned to any councillor on the merits or demerits of this.

I will be asking the Environment Scurtiny committee of which I'm a member to be allowed to scrutinise this decision fully.

Hi Siduhe,

ALL properties facing onto a street will in the autumn have weekly food waste colelctinos and ALL OTHER ITEMS WILL BE COLLECTED FORTNIGHTLY. So fortnightly recyclnig and fortnightly 'residual' waste collection. Expect fly tiping etc to increase. Expect some to put recycling into residual waste.

The food waste pilot has been a solid success so far but I fear these changes will undermine it.

[Gussy]

Collect recycling fortnightly? No, no, no! I have 3 recycling boxes that are full to bursting every week. If I have to wait another week for collection where's it gonna go? I already have a full green bin (2 babies in nappies). The only way we could cope is if we had blue (or whatever colour) large bins for recycling. Otherwise its just going to have to spill onto the street or I'll chuck it in the brown bin! Sorry but its gonna have to go somewhere.

[Siduhe]

ALL properties facing onto a street will in the autumn have weekly food waste collections and ALL OTHER ITEMS WILL BE COLLECTED FORTNIGHTLY. So fortnightly recycling and fortnightly 'residual' waste collection. Expect fly tipping etc to increase. Expect some to put recycling into residual waste.

Thanks James, for me, I think that will work ok. Our green bin rarely gets filled up within a week and if I take out food waste, I should have room to spare. However, totally agree that a few blue boxes and bags won't be sufficient for fortnightly recycling - wheelie bin as a minimum. Can understand it will be harder for those with bigger families and young children though.

[hibbs]

I totally agree with Gussy, unless Southwark are willing to supply larger bins for recycling then it's going to get rather messy waiting for a fortnightly collections.

Gussy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Collect recycling fortnightly? No, no, no! I have

> 3 recycling boxes that are full to bursting every

> week. If I have to wait another week for

> collection where's it gonna go? I already have a

> full green bin (2 babies in nappies). The only way

> we could cope is if we had blue (or whatever

> colour) large bins for recycling. Otherwise its

> just going to have to spill onto the street or

> I'll chuck it in the brown bin! Sorry but its

> gonna have to go somewhere.

[James Barber]

Hi hibbs and Gussy,

Sorry for not making it clear. Southwark Council will provide a new seperate wheelie bin for all you recycling needs - mixed recycling. You'll put all your recyclables paper, metal, glass, plastics in the one wheelie bin.

So a recycling wheelie bin is great and delighted the Labour administration has taken up my repeated request for this suggested to me on this forum by ED residents. Thank you.

Storing paper outside the house in a wheelie bin is great. Mixing it all up - as agreed by the Lib Dem in the Veolia waste contract is great running a year late but hey they're getting there - is really useful in that this will increase recycling.

[Peckham native]

So now we're going to have to find space for 3 wheelie bins. I imagine there are a lot of front gardens that just don't have that amount of space.

[James Barber]

If only Peckham native. Some households will need more than one of the wheelie bin types!

[trizza]

If we get a wheelie bin for nonfood recycling that would be ok for us as we have no kids and a small food waste caddy. We are also lucky and have enough room for x2 wheelie bins.

Many won't be in that position and having x3 wheelie bins just seems crazy.

James, is there some sort of link here the recent proposal by the govt that they will subsidise weekly collections for some sort of rubbish? http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/30/local-rubbish-collection-council-incentive

[ClareC]

James, do you know what the capacity of the new recycle bin will be? How does that compare to the current blue boxes?

We have 3 blue boxes, despite collapsing bottles, cans etc, all three are overflowing every week. The bin will need to have 6 times the capacity of a blue box for fortnightly recycle collection to work for us.

General waste is a very small quantity in comparison....... Only one dustbin bag per week, however there are nappies for two babies in addition...... From a hygiene point of view weekly good but from a quantity perspective it's not necessary.

[Applespider]

I live in a converted house with 4 flats. We have 4 green bins, 1 brown bin and 4 recycling tubs that we 'share' so that we can leave out one full of glass, one of paper etc rather than trying to use those silly little dividers. I'm now envisaging us having 9 wheelies... yikes!

In principle, I don't mind the idea of a caddy bin but for those of us in flats with limited storage, it's yet another thing to find room for in small kitchens alongside the regular bin and the recycling one.

[Judge]

I agree with ClareC - we generally fill 3 blue boxes a week plus a bag or two of paper/cardboard. I agree that it would be a lot better to have weekly collection of all recycling.

[starlingsrest]

I heard recently of a rat infestation caused by people, who were not disposing of their rubbish appropriately, god help us if the collections go to fortnightly, im sure the foxes will be grateful too.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I have a large blue wheelie bin for recycling. It is full to bursting each week (there are two flats using it) so a fortnightly collection would be a nightmare.

The green wheelie bin can stand fortnightly collection as can the brown gardening/food bin. The brown one is only brimming a couple of times a year after garden tidy ups. Certainly not enough food waste generated to justify weekly collection.

[ratty]

Seems everyone is different. My green wheelie gets collected tomorrow. It was full by last Monday and for a day or two now I have been having to bring bags of household rubbish to work to dispose of in our big commercial bin. How on earth I wouls cope with fortnightly collections I do not know.

I am however a little confused with the proposal. Can someone summarise and give definitions please?

[intexasatthe moment]

A wheelie bin for mixed recycling - how to persuade neighbours in other flat in building not to use it for general waste ?

[lje1985]

although it may not work for everyone, I'm really happy to have a general recycling bin - will be much easier than the current arrangement. Every time my paper bag is too full the recycling people leave it behind.

In other news, those of us living on Choumert Road are currently getting 2 collections a week. Seems like quite a waste of money if you ask me