Contamination issues and brown bin expansion
October 21, 2009Recently there has been an increase in contamination of some recycling loads in the Borough. This means that some households are putting food waste, nappies and even excrement into the green recycling bins. When it’s tipped onto the wagon it contaminates the whole load and that means it gets rejected by the recycling contractors and costs significantly extra to dispose of. The Council provides the services to collect all these items, we just need people to take a minute to put them in the right bin.
I don’t want the Council to not collect bins – we just need a small minority to help the rest of us by doing their bit.
The brown bin expansion was approved this evening by Cabinet. That will bring the total to 102,000 households with a garden waste service and should be everyone that needs one. It will be in place for Spring next year so good news for those extra 20,000 households. I think the waste collection service in Walsall provides a really good offering to residents. Most people don’t realise that garden waste is not a statutory service and some councils charge residents extra for the service, charge them to buy their first bin or don’t even provide a garden kerbside collection at all. Value for money.
So what next to improve the waste system?
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How do you stop neighbours from contaminating your carefully sorted recycling by dumping any old crap in your bin while it’s waiting to be collected? It’s a real problem here, and what am I supposed to do with somebody else’s waste that you won’t empty?
I suppose I could sit guarding it with a 12-bore shotgun and mantrap, but I have a job to do and a life to lead. As usual, the peope who take care get shafted by those who don’t give a toss.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Bob
I’d appreciate your thoughts even more. What would you do? Lets us the comments to brainstorm:
Oh, I see, there was me thinking it was your department. Mike, this is supposed to be two-way.
Since you ask, I’d have the binmen collect the bin from my property like the old days. That way I can guarantee some scrote won’t fill it with their dirty nappies.
Why the hell should I be penalised for somebody else?
Bob
No such problems here, thankfully.
Bob, have you thought about a contract killing? It would bump average IQ up as well.
No serious suggestions, I’m afraid. Just what do you do with the worthless obnoxious types that don’t give a crap?
I’m tempted to point out that we elect them (present company excepted).
Bob
Hello Mike
The cost of a reject lorry load of co mingled recyclables destined for Greenstar in Aldridge and then pick up again and taken to land fill must be thousands ?
I would guess that it would be possible to identify the round – area or even street causing the problem and with a little extra footwork and inspection of bins plus any feedback from residents, the bin contaminators could be identified. Educational material could be provided, perhaps a fine too, maybe a charge imposed for the service for these offenders, but as an immediate solution, why not give these people clear plastic bags to use for recycleables for a period ( several months) so the collection can be continued and monitored, this should stop idiots putting “crap” into recyling bins, and wasting the boroughs money, and residents money.
How many open days – Tours of green star for schools orpublic are held to educate people, why dont you see if you can get central tv to do a feature story, and backit up with the launch of a solution – ie clear bags for offending properties ?
Finally – brown bins, good to hear more made available, do walsall residents know what happens to the recycled green waste – that it can be purchased for use in your garden at £2 per bag meaning that it is good value and much better for the environment as it does not destroy “Peatland Area” simply because it contains no peat ? I guess that the vast majority of our green waste will go to our parks and open spaces, again a good thing as it saves te Borough and residents money
Cheers
Alan – Aldridge website
Bob has a good resoned point as normal. So, perhaps Walsall Coucil should supply lockable bins if they want this degree of rubbish scrutiny/integrity. However contamination is not helped by poor and often conflicting info about what can and cannot be recycled-perhaps Mike, now it is ‘his’ departement, would like to get better and standardised info both on the web site and distributed to homes explaining this in some detail.
But well done to the Council for making the decision to complee the ‘brown’ bin service this is long overdue and has been an anomally in the service for years. Thanks. Would Mike care to explain the phrase .. should be everyone that need one (brown bins that is)… means? How will the bins be allocated this time?
People in flats and dwellings where the gardens are attended to by contractors (sheltered and some OAP accommodation) don’t need brown bins.
I think it’s quite sad that we’re expected to be chuffed about the rollout of brown bins being finally completed in this way. Those 20,000 without them have been paying the same council tax as the rest of us, yet have been receiving an inferior refuse service. That this has taken so long to achieve shows that Walsall still doesn’t appreciate what customer service means.
This isn’t rocket science.
Bob
“Most people don’t realise that garden waste is not a statutory service and some councils charge residents extra for the service, charge them to buy their first bin or don’t even provide a garden kerbside collection at all. Value for money”
Your post was quite good to this point. The cabinet report states that the bins are to be funded by sale of surplus vehicles (permission being in place to ring fence the proceeds) and a grant from DEFRA. So, investment by WMBC is zero. So, the Tories are trumpeting a Labour Government initiative as their own. I am not making a political point – exactly the same would happen the other way round – particularly when an election is coming up. (And yes, I do know that it makes horticultural and financial sense to do this next Spring so I don’t comment on the election date but do hope that this will not be a political matter at that time). The report also talks about savings in landfill charges by composting. Mike Bird (whatever happened to him) was making the point – three years ago – that if the garden waste isn’t collected it does not count towards waste collections and therefore WMBC %ge recycled is higher if no garden waste is collected.
At the end of the day a total recycling service reduces the need for contamination.
On a ‘bin related matter’ houses on the Broadway have had the same green bin since 1995. If you drive along there you can see that a number are split and are generally worn out. Will people be expected to pay for a new bin that has been factigued by in excess of 650 lifts in and out of a bin lorry. I only mention the Broadway because that is where I drive and know people who live there. The problem will not be unique to that road.