Recycling (The new warning system)

[Keef]

Could you contact their landlord and ask them to have a word? If the landlord refuses, tell him/her you'll give the council their name... Might work...

[Joe likes dinner]

I think that is a good idea, problem is when you have to live with someone it needs to be atmosphere free!!

[Brendan]

Why not just have a chat to them about it? It could be a good way to get to know them. If they are arsey then you have lost nothing and will be vindicated in complaining to the landlord. But most people tend to be reasonable when you actually speak to them.

[bawdy-nan]

I wonder if the fining thing is reciprocal ... we dutifully compost our suitable kitchen and garden waste and put out our recycling every week. Quite often the recycling truck just drives past the end of our street without making a collection - could I fine the council I wonder?

[Brendan]

Come to think of it my recycling hasn?t been picked up this week.

[lillystorm]

Mogs I'll call you next time I need the service you're offering!!;-)

[spirit]

I'm glad someone's started a thread about this.

About a week after the "warning" leaflet came through my door, I came home from work to find my recycling boxes only half emptied and dropped back in the garden upside down, their content strewn all over said garden (including broken glass). As this happens quite regularly I started to clean up as usual but cut myself on the glass. I've also noticed that some weeks after collections our street is littered with recycling waste that's obviously fallen out during careless collections... I consider myself lucky if I get the boxes back at all let alone with their dividers and lids and the bags go missing all the time. It took me three weeks to get my last replacement as the people on the vans don't carry any spares (?) and Southwark take ages to send them out.

After cutting myself the thought of Southwark issuing penalties to 'bad' recyclers made me so furious that I rang the recylcling Dept at Southwark and made a complaint. I told them that if they want people to opt into the recycling scheme they have to keep it safe and they have to keep it clean.

They registered my complaint and this week things were much better - so I would advise people to do the same... there's talk of reducing collections to once every two weeks and we're supposed to keep the lids on the boxes to discourage vermin but lids are a luxury (for me at least).

I don't want to be negative about recycling but leaving my street dirty and dangerous is just not on. It's great they collect but more care is needed. I'm more than happy to do my bit but Southwark should also do theirs.

[susyp]

Same thing happens down my road - rubbish everywhere after they've been - they obviously just can't be bothered.

I'm a bit confused about this fine thing - in my flats we all share the same wheelie bins - so how do they know who's recycled and not recycled?! or are we supposed to democratically split the fine?

[bluebrick]

A little bit off topic, but where exactly is the Peckham Dump?

In regards to recycling I think the stick is unfortunatly necessary as although 92% of the UK population have access to road recycling schemes only about 20% recycle.

[Ko]

I too complained to the council about the recycling being dropped all down our street. Once I complained, it definitely got better. Call 0207 525 2000.

I'm always amazed at the laziness of some of the collectors. Sometimes I'm given 3 boxes back (when I only have one) - we leave them on the road and everyone normally gets their own ones back.

[citizenED]

The recycling is not collected by green party activists or concerned local residents but by working class guys doing a days work for a days pay. As consciencious as i would like them to be, i guess the best thing is the council do have a recycling system even if the ettiqutte of their staff isn't up to much. Do your bit, put your box out, take your stuff (and your neighbours) to the tip if it aint collected.

citizen

[ed_pete]

Re: Tetrapak carton recycling, while Southwark drag their feet, being one of only four boroughs not offering any recycling facilities, according to the Tetrapak recycling website, Lewisham have placed a large bin in the Sainsburys Car Park in Forest Hill for just this purpose. Not exactly on the doorstep but worth knowing about if you feel like saving them up for a while.

[Brendan]

I put my juice cartons in the recycling and they seeem to disapear. :-S

[ed_pete]

That probably means that some poor soul is weeding them out at some point during the recycling process.

[PeckhamRose]

What cracks me up about the Southwark recycling is that they apply the heavy hand to the wrong people AND they create their own waste. They tell us on our estate anyway that they don't recycle white envelopes or window envelopes. Guess what. EVERY piece of communication I receive from Southwark Council is sent on white window envelopes. Idiots. And some window envelopes (very expensive) even have stickers over the windows with my address printed on. I tell ya, some of these people need a slap.

[elizlondon]

The whole windowed envelopes thing really bugs me. Because they can't recycle them, I tear the window out before I put the rest of the envelope into the recycling bag, but it would be much better if companies just didn't use them at all.