refuse (bin inspections)

[ibo]

The council has adopted a zero tolerance policy on refuse dumping . Bins are being inspected throughout the borough .

[SeanMacGabhann]

Ibo

Not sure exactly what you mean by this - is it putting recycelable material in normal bins etc?

[ibo]

As I understand the situation bins are being inspected so as to ensure that ;

1.Bins are used only for domestic refuse that cannot be recycled;

2.Commercial rubbish is not being dumped in domestic bins;

3.Public are not dumping rubbish in bins allocated to specific households.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Ah - thanks

Seems fair enough although I'd be happier if they gave me a recycling bin after I asked them 3 weeks ago ;-)

[mockney piers]

1 is just about doable (a word?) 2 is iffy and 3 is totally unenforceable.

Council inspector 1 - [rummages in 29 Acacia Ave bin] Mrs Wimp would never use this brand of toothpaste

Council inspector 2 - You're right. Mr Ben up the road is always complaining about sensitive teeth, quick get an arrest warrant.

[Siduhe]

1 is just about doable (a word?) 2 is iffy and 3 is totally unenforceable.

Completely agree, but it doesn't seem to be stopping Southwark. I was at home recently during the day and heard someone outside going through our bin, so leapt out full of righteous indignation to confront the "dumpee", who then produced a clipboard and a Southwark Council ID. He'd even cut open one of our rubbish bags after "complaints about people using the wrong bins".

My first thought was he was a scammer looking for private info, but I did follow it up, and yes, he does work for Southwark. I then found out that one of our neighbours is locked in a pitched suburban battle because he keeps putting his rubbish in someone else's bin (because he doesn't have one and can't be arsed to get one), hence the complaints - but I simply can't believe that resources are actually being expended on this - landfill diversion tax targets or not.

Surely, Southwark would be better off improving their overall service (like doing weekly household waste collections, or bringing in Tetrapak recycling facilities, please!) than employing someone to snoop through our rubbish...

[ibo]

You are absolutely right Siduhe . The Council are simply misdirecting resources.Many of the bins are in front gardens which are accessible to the public . Mockney Piers is correct in stating that it is impossible for the Council to stop the public putting rubbish in these bins . They may catch a few idiots who put identifiable rubbish in such bins , but once the public becomes aware of Council snooping tactics will change.I guess the next step is to put cameras in every street corner .

We need the Council to cooperate and encourage its citizens rather than use snooping tactics that will only produce negative results.

[woodie]

put the cameras in the bins? get some great lidshots.like looking up from the bottom of the well.

its getting a bit crazy on the bins. guess, the councils wouldnt want to employ people to sort rubbish. we have to do it all for free.

[Keef]

Number 3 is stupid. If I have an empty wraper or something, and I pass someone's wheely bin on the pavement, I will pop it in, surely I am keeping Britain tidy?

[snorky]

why dont you just " refuse" to let them check your bins

hahaha etc

[macroban]

I'm under the impression that a "statutory right of inspection" came into force on 2007-04-01.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

This is insane.

Unless they are going to provide us with lockable bins they cannot hold anyone responsible for anything inside a bin that is open to passers by (unless it has ur name on!).

We definately need tetrapak recycling collections, plus plastic wrappers that are recycleable - as most in Lidl's are - not just bottles, plus recycling for the mercury filled low energy light bulbs they give out free.

What about some kind of food waste recycling?

Southwark council should get their act together before wasting our money on rummaging through our bins and hounding the people who pay their wages.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Whilst I totally agree, I am going to go out on a limb and say.... it don't mean jack.

I am going to say that if I pile my bin high with newspapers and cans I am not going to get "done". Some inspectors are doing some work out there but unlike (say) smoking, or speed cameras they don't have enough of a mandate to persevere with this policy...

[macroban]

The legal power to issue an on the spot Statutory Penalty might be considered "a mandate".

[ibo]

Food waste recycling is being done in some parts of Croydon where houses have big rear gardens.

[ibo]

Nice one . Presumably , they can only check the bins in front gardens . All other bins would need to be checked on collection days.

[chichirara]

Warning I know of one person whose bin was searched last sunday, being fined ?50 for an envelope with their business address on it.

[macroban]

This is "correct" it is illegal to mix business waste with domestic waste.

Southwark operatives may not yet be sophisticated enough to distinguish "business mail/waste" from "domestic mail/waste" of those who work from home. No doubt there will be a training course soon.

[tommy]

This all sounds like an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm"...

I'm all for spot checks to encourage recycling, but the above sounds like too much

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

We share our recycling box with our neighbour as someone keeps taking our recycling boxes and bag ( we live on the main road of LL!) and we have no divider in our box, so the glass and plastic are together in the box, we had a note from the council saying they are not going to take our plastic/glass/cans unless we stop mixing them together in the box....ermmm what are we supposed to do?? we already spend ages cleaning the bloody empty cans, jars etc, going in every room and making sure the papers and rest are not mixed in with other rubbish, putting it our every Monday evenings, and now because we dont have a divider in the box and the plastic/cans etc are touching each other they wont take it!

We just dont have time for petty things like that!

[zephyr]

Keep ordering new boxes. I have always emailed them and they have been very prompt. We have two boxes now as the plastics our family uses completely fills one on its own. Alays email them to take bulky stuff away as well.

[email protected]

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

zephyr Wrote:

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

> Keep ordering new boxes. I have always emailed

> them and they have been very prompt. We have two

> boxes now as the plastics our family uses

> completely fills one on its own. Alays email them

> to take bulky stuff away as well.

>

> [email protected]

Thanks for the email address, I have just emailed them for some extra boxes so hopefully that will solve that problem for me! Just going to have to spend more bloody time sorting everything out!

[ClareC]

I keep ordering them.......... as fast as they arrive they dissapear again! Same with the bag for paper! I don't see how they can fine someone without proof its them that are misusing their rubbish bins!

[Nero]

I have a spare blue box, with divider (I think). PM me if you want it. Nero

[SeanMacGabhann]

like ClareC I keep ordering them, getting them (sometimes) but they never last long

I even bought a stack of plastic boxes from Farmers at one point and painted teh address over them but they didn't last more than a couple of months either

Who, why and what for.?????? Of all the things to nick, stuff that's free from the council... it's beyond brain-dead