Sainsbury's No Recycling

[ianr]

#There's a small PDF file of Southwark textile banks dated June 2016 http://www.2.southwark.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/13595/textiles_clothes_and_shoes_june_2016 that is I guess Renata's source. It covers the whole borough and includes what I take to be a charity associate in each case. Lewisham also list one outside block flats 270/332 Wood Vale, SE23 3DZ.

I found the list on the Southwark website only by doing a word search, and wasn't able to find any other useful reference there to textile banks or to acceptable input and its use.

Some other councils provide accessible lists, and better information. Westminster, for example, say "Please ensure all materials are clean. All items suitable for reuse will be sold at a Scope charity shop in London and any items unsuitable for reuse will be recycled." https://www.westminster.gov.uk/textile-recycling. Haringey say "The clothing will be collected by LMB and hand-sorted to separate the good quality clothing that can be used again from lower quality or damaged items which can then be shredded and made into cloths. More information on how LMB sorts and recycles clothing can be found on the company's website..." http://www.haringey.gov.uk/environment-and-waste/refuse-and-recycling/recycling/street-recycling/textile-recycling

I'm now assuming that Southwark's acceptance policy and practice is similar.

[sanity girl]

I have discovered you can take unwanted textiles to H&M in Brixton for recycling and they will give you a ?5 voucher in return. Best solution I've found so far!

[Henry_17]

Renata,

So your council awarded this private sector multinational a contract for 25 years to tend to the waste management needs of the borough, and once they reneged on providing a core service under that contract, your idea of holding them accountable was to send a brief enquiry, internal to the council, and then copy and paste their reply here without any scrutiny? Anyone who cares to use a search engine for a couple of minutes can see the obvious way in which Southwark residents have been stitched up here.

[KidKruger]

A mobile recycling unit for THREE HOURS once every couple of weeks, at a time when most people are working (yes, majority of population don't work evenings !).

Is flytipping next to a recycling centre better than down dark alleys, behind garages and in car parks and playgrounds ? I think so. The flytipping won't stop.

What proportion of waste collected at Sainsburys when the permanent recycling centre existed was flytipped ?

[James Barber]

Hi Henry_17,

I don't believe Veolia reneged on any core part of the contract. When Labour came to power in 2010 they negotiated with Veolia to change the service. Effectively food waste recycling came earlier but Veolia were let of from the tough recycling levels set in the original contract.

Recycling rate in Southwark is now well below where it would have had to be if the original contract was adhered to and not negotiated away.

Sadly most people's interest in recycling rates has waned.

[dc]

James Barber Wrote:

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

> When Labour came to power in 2010....

The rate of recycling in England was increasing at a decent annual rate from 2000 to 2010 and then flatlined thereafter. The latest available figures (published late 2016) actually showed an annual decline for the first time.

A DEFRA publication summarising their policies from 2010-2015 states:

"Removing centrally imposed recycling targets"

"We?ve removed centrally imposed recycling targets. This will allow councils to act on their own local priorities, while also improving recycling rates."

So the evidence would suggest that the big difference was caused by a policy change at national level.

Southwark still has the best recycling rate in central London btw - double that of Westminster (which is probably a bit more important than the information on their website not being quite as good).

http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t370/dcdulwich/61E04C18-2991-4DB4-B408-50DAF3013A3A_zpst43rdvxs.jpg

[Nigello]

Is the rubbish you put in a Southwark public litter bin always recycled, or does it go to landfill?

[uncleglen]

Household recycling rates will flat-line as there is only a finite amount of stuff that can be recycled e.g massive polystyrene slabs from boxed electrical goods cannot.

It is up to the individual to address this issue (like many others we blame the nanny state for) but when, for example, builders just dump their sandwich and drink containers in a plastic carrier on to the road and drive away what hope is there?

[Penguin68]

The %age of waste recycled is a function of the volume of waste that is recyclable - if I 'generate' 10 tons of waste one year, of which 60% (6 tons) is recyclable - and recycle it - and the next year 'generate 11 tons, still with 6 tons recyclable and recycled, has my recycling stayed the same, or gone down? I have now recycled only 54% of my waste (down from 60%) whilst still recycling all I can and the same weight. We are in the hands of suppliers as to how much packaging etc. can be recycled. More recyclable packaging (or less packaging overall) is not in the hands of the consumer. I have seen figures for % waste recycled - but not of % recyclable waste recycled. In terms of public take-up and commitment it is the latter figure which is important. [And, as a side issue, is the important figure weight or volume - as regards land-fill I might suggest volume?]

[ianr]

Posted today in the What's On section:

"Due to overwhelming public demand, Southwark's Mobile Recycling Centre will be at Sainsbury's Dog Kennel Hill, on Wed 5 Apr, between 10am and 1pm." http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?6,1805260