Green food waste bags no longer free from Southwark Council

[James Barber]

My lot have requested the Southwark Overview Scrutiny Committee (OSC) review this decision about charging for bulk waste collections. This has been agree and will take place 17 September. If you have views you'd like the committee to consider about this proposed new charge on residents please email me.

Our grounds for requesting this were:

- not included in council budget setting in February.

- decision didn't cover the likely impacts in messier streets

- decision suggested more good would be donated to charity with no evidence for this assertion.

- the decision maker failed to make any responses for requests to meet to discuss this decision - so lack of openness.

- decision stated meets Medium term Resources strategy but doesn't explain why it meets this - we think per item the proposal is for much higher charges per item than other London boroughs.

- no evidence of the likely impact of this decision.

- report stated this decision delayed until systems in place- so the decision appears already made.

- no explanation on the impact on people with lower incomes or people without cars.

[ed_pete]

Off topic but for those wanting to visit Southwark's Waste Facility there's an Open Day on 19th September. Part of the Open House weekend.

http://www.veolia.co.uk/southwark/WonderDay2015

[Pickle]

James, do you know whether the recycling centre would let a cubs group visit? Would have to be during normal cub meeting time (6:30 - 8pm). My son's group would love it (and I'd be interested too).

[Penguin68]

James Barber wrote (inter alia), about 'free collections of bulky items - withdrawal' - decision suggested more good (sic) would be donated to charity with no evidence for this assertion.

To add to this - charities will not, generally, accept goods which have material/ stuffing etc. where these are not confirmed as being fire retardant treated. Many older items of furniture either have not been treated, or the labels confirming this are now missing. These are precisely the sorts of items (together with mattresses) which can be dumped to the general detriment of the environment.

Where they can be of course, donations to charity are good (or re-use via Freecycle etc.) - but this is often not possible, whatever the wishes of the owners.

[James Barber]

Hi Pickle,

I'm sure they'd be delighted. The tour of the reprocessing plant was/is really interesting.

Let me know if you need help organising it.

My last visit with a scout group was a Friday evening 7-8.30pm.

Hi P68,

You make a good point and I will ensure the call-in covers this. Thank you.

[KestonKid]

Having run out of the Council free bags for food recycling I have been looking in vain to buy small compostable bags to fit a kitchen caddy. Can anyone advise where they are to be found?

[ed_pete]

KestonKid Wrote:

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> Having run out of the Council free bags for food

> recycling I have been looking in vain to buy small

> compostable bags to fit a kitchen caddy. Can

> anyone advise where they are to be found?

Posted above: http://www.caddylinersdirect.co.uk/shop/

[EPB]

Farmers.

[Siduhe]

Sainsbury DKH have them, top shelf with the rubbish bags.

[flocker spotter]

I am disappointed not to have the free bags any more, but I fully accept why the free scheme ended. It was a simple cost to cut that did not have many ramifications elsewhere. My sister in Bristol never had free bags and always used newspaper in her food recycing bin. With so many free papers around, thiis presents a cost-free alternative. Cady bags are available to buy at loads of supermarkets and we buy them just as we buy liners for our kitchen bin. If you don't expect the council to provide you with a free bag for your kitchen/pedal/swing bin, why expect other bin liners to be gratis?

[DulwichFox]

flocker spotter Wrote:

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If you don't expect the council to provide you with a free bag for your kitchen/pedal/swing bin,

why expect other bin liners to be gratis?

Because it is Their scheme.. Your internal pedal bin has nothing to do with Southwark Council.

The green bags are for food waste and by residents separating their waste we are already saving the council

money and preventing all waste having to be sent to land fill. We all pay for these bags through our council tax.

Dulwich DIY are now charging ?3.89 for 25 green food bags.. Shops will be taking advantage of this new scheme.

DulwichFox

[spider69]

As someone has remarked they can cut this scheme out but can still pay ?169.000.00 on staff refreshments for 2014 .

Why do we have to pay for their tea and coffees?

[rodneybewes]

spider69 Wrote:

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> As someone has remarked they can cut this scheme

> out but can still pay ?169.000.00 on staff

> refreshments for 2014 .

>

> Why do we have to pay for their tea and coffees?

Why does any firm pay for tea and coffee? Why does my firm pay for tea and coffee? So I'm happier working and more productive and not nipping down the road to buy coffee wasting time.

Why should we pay to heat their buildings - surely they can wear coats?

Here is another why. Why the utter contempt for council employees?

[spider69]

Most companies I have been with have a tea club or a machine you put your own money in

why is asking why we have to pay ?169.000.00 showing contempt.

Heating? Think you have lost the plot

[Nigello]

Don't pay for bags and use newspaper or a clapped out tea-towel or kitchen roll etc. instead. It's not hard and you'll be doing the environment a (very small) favour.

[DulwichFox]

Funny that Southwark Council will no longer foot the bill for green bags when ...

.. they have spent Millions of pounds on Green, Blue & Brown bins.. 10's of 1,000s of them...

DulwichFox

[tfwsoll]

Whatever happened to the British bulldog, Dunkirk spirit?

[rodneybewes]

spider69 Wrote:

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

> Most companies I have been with have a tea club or

> a machine you put your own money in

>

> why is asking why we have to pay ?169.000.00

> showing contempt.

>

> Heating? Think you have lost the plot

I've never worked for a company with a tea club. Even the dockyard managed to supply its workforce with a cup of tea now and again. I work for a city firm now - not known for having any waste at all but realises that providing some basic comfort now and again improves productivity.

It's interesting that with all the corruption and nepotism that goes in local government, with all the cuts that have been made from central funds, with all the tax breaks for property developers and special deals for contractors and incompetence at the highest level of management it's the workers' tea and biscuits that you're after.

[Mugglesworth]

150 caddy bags for ?10.35. About 7p per bag. Yes, I use them and yes, they work fine. If 150 sounds a lot to you, split the order and cost with a neighbour or two.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00HUSEQQO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

[spider69]

Think your last para sums things up.

You could send your city bonus to help them out.

FOK in city palance

[Countrlass22]

Caddy liner direct are rip off price can get bags pound shops,bq homebase,etc much cheaper.

[KestonKid]

Just to say that I found a supply of caddy bags in Farmers - what a great shop it is. Wonderful selection of the most useful things always.

[Beulah]

@KestonKid Where is "Farmers" and how much are they charging per bag?

I've been speaking to Southwark recycling and they confirmed that you can't put newspaper in the brown bin.

So what are the options for those of us who don't want to pay for bags - is there a cunning cost-saving solution?

Over winter putting it straight into the bin may not be that bad but once it gets warmer I'm really not going to want to open the lid.

I know some other boroughs still give them away for free - but I assume you have to show some proof of address to get them.

Unless anyone knows different.

[Penguin68]

Farmers: - http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1118/56791.php

[katanita]

Bags are pretty cheap at Farmers, but I've found that even with two bags they aren't surviving and have holes in when I go to put them out, so I end up triple bagging them. Just me? Anyone found better ones?