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Readers attack recycling shambles
11:32am Wednesday 25th April 2007
Comments (81)
By Kelly Barker »
HUNDREDS of angry readers have contacted the Globe to slam the council's "recycling service shambles".
Telephone calls and emails poured into our newsroom from residents letting off steam about the borough's waste services.
"We know that some residents are apprehensive about the new scheme, but this is designed to be convenient and easier to use."
Council spokesman
And our pictures above show what a terrible impression row upon row of unemptied wheelie bins creates. Our chief photographer Chris Sumner captured the images while out and about across the borough on Saturday.
Last week the Globe exclusively revealed how bin men refused to take a pensioner's recyclable rubbish because a potato was in the "wrong" bin - even though it wasn't.
And Biffa refuse collectors were found to be raking in an incredible five days' pay to work a Bank Holiday, even though more than half of the bins on Wirral went unemptied this Easter.
But confusion boiled over when council bins boss Dave Green last week said that food cannot be disposed of in the garden waste-only brown bins.
Spurring an influx of calls from residents who have a booklet telling them they can put food waste in their brown bins, the council later admitted that Wirral waste is divided between two composting sites.
They confirmed that 17,500 households have food and garden recycling combined bins as part of a pilot scheme, which is currently undergoing a testing process.
This waste goes to an indoor composting facility but is sent straight to landfill until government clearance lets it be reused.
The other 100,000 brown bins in the borough are purely for garden waste, which is taken to an outdoor composting facility and cannot be "contaminated" with household food products.
But hundreds of Globe readers, who are willing to do their bit for the environment, said they were "angered and confused" by the "joke that is Wirral recycling".
Mike Jones from Moreton asked: "Do the council want recycling or not? If so, they should have the infrastructure in place for it to be effective before they start barking orders and threatening fines if people get it wrong."
And Dean Davies from Prenton said: "Bin collections at the moment are a nightmare and I am often left feeling disappointed with the level of service that is provided to Wirral residents.
"It may well be that we are in a 'trial' area and perhaps our collection rules are slightly different, but the issue has not been clearly explained.
"It all seems a total mess to me and I feel that the service is an absolute disgrace."
The council released a revised briefing after the Globe highlighted people's confusion.
It says: "We know that some residents are apprehensive about the new scheme, but this is designed to be convenient and easier to use.
"The new service is being delivered area by area, and as each phase begins, residents will receive an information pack and collections calendar.
"There are also stickers on each bin telling people what can and can't be put in it.
"Please bear with us while these changes settle down; as with any major change, it takes time for people to get used to new processes and systems.
"We appreciate people's patience and apologise for any inconvenience caused.
"For a road-by-road breakdown of the latest collection information for your street visit www.wirral.gov.uk/recycling or call into any One Stop Shop or library."
Your Say Your Globe
Margaret Furber, says...
5:15pm Wed 25 Apr 07
As we all suspected recyling is a farse.we now know that most of our waste is sent to land fill.bin collections once a fornight is surly going back to the darkages when we had infestation of vermin running along our street .our concil tax has risen and the council want us to do their job of sorting and washing rubbish .next thing a water meter so to charge us for extra /wasted water to make sure we have clean "rubbish".surely there are jobs for the boys involved somewere here (only in the Town Hall through?)
Mrs Nancy Sutton, Birkenhead says...
5:51pm Wed 25 Apr 07
This is the feedback I sent to the council...I have yet to receive a reply.
Details: Hi,
I think the new grey recycling bin is fantastic! I'm from the USA
orginally and I'm quite used to recycling such items. I do however have a
concern about the green wheelie bin (household rubbish). Now that summer
is approaching, the food waste which will be deposited and sitting for 2
weeks is bound to not only smell, but possibly in any constant heat fester
maggots. I think rubbish collection should stay on a weekly schedule due
to health and safety.
Thanks for allowing feedback
Regards,
Mrs Nancy Sutton
Details: Hi,
I think the new grey recycling bin is fantastic! I'm from the USA
orginally and I'm quite used to recycling such items. I do however have a
concern about the green wheelie bin (household rubbish). Now that summer
is approaching, the food waste which will be deposited and sitting for 2
weeks is bound to not only smell, but possibly in any constant heat fester
maggots. I think rubbish collection should stay on a weekly schedule due
to health and safety.
Thanks for allowing feedback
Regards,
Mrs Nancy Sutton
tina, says...
5:52pm Wed 25 Apr 07
I think the new bin collection system is fantastic - it's about time we sorted our rubbish for recycling - we are way behind the rest of Europe in this respect. And it's nonsense to say "our bins are only emptied fornightly" - if you have divided your rubbish properly, then you get half emptied one week, and the other half the next week - I call that a weekly rubbish collection service. It's true there have been teething problems, but that is to be expected, and I agree that ticking people off for putting a potato in the wrong bin is pretty extreme - but at last the system has recognised the importance of recycling. A bit of co-operation from all the moaners out there wouldn't go amiss! (and, no, I am not a member of or in any way connected with the Council, nor do I have any connection with Biffa, and I pay my hefty council tax like everyone else).
Phil Watkinson, says...
8:02pm Wed 25 Apr 07
Hear hear Tina! (I made much the same comment on another thread). Of course we still have a weekly collection. And I happen to think that the system chosen will turn out to be the simplest and most efficient. There are clearly problems to be overcome, both from the council's point of view (communications) and Biffa's (service delivery). But to condemn the whole system out of hand is a nonsense.
And to all those who keep going on about flies and maggots in their green bin - if your food waste is bagged and tied, how can flies or maggots become a problem? If you are daft enough to put food waste directly into your green bin, then you'd have a problem even with the old weekly collection.
And to all those who keep going on about flies and maggots in their green bin - if your food waste is bagged and tied, how can flies or maggots become a problem? If you are daft enough to put food waste directly into your green bin, then you'd have a problem even with the old weekly collection.
Phil Watkinson, says...
8:04pm Wed 25 Apr 07
Oh, and another thing - the brown bins. It really isn't that hard:
Been provided with a brown bin and a kitchen caddy? Put kitchen AND garden waste in your brown bin. Been provided with a brown bin but NO caddy? Garden waste only please. If that's too difficult for you, then heaven help us all.
Been provided with a brown bin and a kitchen caddy? Put kitchen AND garden waste in your brown bin. Been provided with a brown bin but NO caddy? Garden waste only please. If that's too difficult for you, then heaven help us all.
kelly, west kirby says...
9:01pm Wed 25 Apr 07
i think the new grey bin is to say the least a pain we are having recycling shoved down are necks, i have a large family and sorting my rubbish into separate bins is a total pain. i think we should still have weekly collections and for those who want to recycle should at least be given the option to do so. i do not have a problem with recycling but think the green bins should still be emptyed on a weekly basis as in the hot weather it will start smelling
withheld, wirral says...
9:20pm Wed 25 Apr 07
Rubbish !
Well we anticipated the usual shambles from WBC and decided we 'DID'NT WANT TO PLAY'. We wrote to Street Clean and informed them that we had managed very nicely with recycling 'LONG BEFORE THEY JUMPED ON THE BAND WAGON' and did not need them to tell us what to do in 'OUR FREE COUNTRY'. We gave them 7 days to remove there 3 bins from our property as their service no longer met our needs. They tried to arrange a meeting to 'put things right' we said 'no thank you' we had the bins removed and when we asked for a council tax refund were told that there was 'no facility' to refund for this purpose. We don't mind as we would have probly paid that amount in fines, 'which incidently is just another word for another form of tax but against hardworking people' If all the people of the Wirral did the same 'PROBLEM SOLVED'
Remember that dotted around the Wirral are lots of recycling stations and we now only have one black bag a week to take to the tip as the rest is taken to recycle when the shopping is done. COME ON WIRRAL WHERE'S YOUR BACKBONE STAND UP AND BE COUNTED. THEY WOULD SOON SEE THAT AS WE PAY THEIR WAGES WE WILL DECIDE HOW IT IS SPENT.
Well we anticipated the usual shambles from WBC and decided we 'DID'NT WANT TO PLAY'. We wrote to Street Clean and informed them that we had managed very nicely with recycling 'LONG BEFORE THEY JUMPED ON THE BAND WAGON' and did not need them to tell us what to do in 'OUR FREE COUNTRY'. We gave them 7 days to remove there 3 bins from our property as their service no longer met our needs. They tried to arrange a meeting to 'put things right' we said 'no thank you' we had the bins removed and when we asked for a council tax refund were told that there was 'no facility' to refund for this purpose. We don't mind as we would have probly paid that amount in fines, 'which incidently is just another word for another form of tax but against hardworking people' If all the people of the Wirral did the same 'PROBLEM SOLVED'
Remember that dotted around the Wirral are lots of recycling stations and we now only have one black bag a week to take to the tip as the rest is taken to recycle when the shopping is done. COME ON WIRRAL WHERE'S YOUR BACKBONE STAND UP AND BE COUNTED. THEY WOULD SOON SEE THAT AS WE PAY THEIR WAGES WE WILL DECIDE HOW IT IS SPENT.
Anne Grunade, Rockferry says...
10:38pm Wed 25 Apr 07
Forgive me if I seem silly, but I really don`t know. What happens to all the stuff we put in our recycling bin? Is it sorted out and sold to companies who reuse it? Is it collected free by companies who then reuse it and so keep costs down? I really try to do my bit and I suppose we will all get used to it in due course. Lots of people just don`t like their routine messed with, especially if it seems inept.
What I really will object to is if we are being charged to gather paper, glass and plastic for someone to make profit. A solution would be to have
small collection centres, where a small payment could be received per kilo, like weighing in scrap metal. I can imagine tidy streets as kids scramble for recycleable rubbish. Maybe a bit far-fetched, but who knows?
P.S. Why can`t you put paper that you have shredded for security reasons in the grey bin?
What I really will object to is if we are being charged to gather paper, glass and plastic for someone to make profit. A solution would be to have
small collection centres, where a small payment could be received per kilo, like weighing in scrap metal. I can imagine tidy streets as kids scramble for recycleable rubbish. Maybe a bit far-fetched, but who knows?
P.S. Why can`t you put paper that you have shredded for security reasons in the grey bin?
Ragnar, Brandenburg-Preußen. says...
7:54am Thu 26 Apr 07
tina 5:52pm Wed 25 Apr 07
if you have divided your rubbish properly, then you get half emptied one week, and the other half the next week - I call that a weekly rubbish collection service.
They could take away the garden bins, and the composting bins seven times per week. THAT is not the complaint, as I see it. There is STILL rotting food left for a fortnight. No matter HOW often the other bins get emptied.
Chris Bindall, Wirral says...
9:31am Thu 26 Apr 07
For once I'm in agreement with Ragnar!
To Phil and Tina: It's not that people are against recycling, it's that they're against rotting food being left for a fortnight.
And the last few weeks have shown that sometimes the bins are left longer than a fortnight.
Twelve other councils have reverted to weekly food collections with fortnightly recyclables. Why would that be so hard?
Perhaps they could chop some money from the Yet More Traffic Lights department to help pay for it. Or better still, use the money the council - or Biffa, whichever it is - will make from selling on the recyclables.
To Phil and Tina: It's not that people are against recycling, it's that they're against rotting food being left for a fortnight.
And the last few weeks have shown that sometimes the bins are left longer than a fortnight.
Twelve other councils have reverted to weekly food collections with fortnightly recyclables. Why would that be so hard?
Perhaps they could chop some money from the Yet More Traffic Lights department to help pay for it. Or better still, use the money the council - or Biffa, whichever it is - will make from selling on the recyclables.
Phil Watkinson, says...
9:34am Thu 26 Apr 07
Ragnar wrote:And if you food waste is bagged and tied, why is it a problem? If you are so stupid or lazy as to put food waste directly into your bin - whether it is emptied weekly or fortnightly - then you'll get what you deserve. Our kitchen bin has a bin liner. All our food waste goes in the kitchen bin. When it's full, the liner is removed, squashed down tight and tied. How much simpler can it be? No smell, no flies, no maggots.
tina 5:52pm Wed 25 Apr 07 if you have divided your rubbish properly, then you get half emptied one week, and the other half the next week - I call that a weekly rubbish collection service.They could take away the garden bins, and the composting bins seven times per week. THAT is not the complaint, as I see it. There is STILL rotting food left for a fortnight. No matter HOW often the other bins get emptied.
Phil Watkinson, says...
9:39am Thu 26 Apr 07
kelly wrote:A question for you then:
i think the new grey bin is to say the least a pain we are having recycling shoved down are necks, i have a large family and sorting my rubbish into separate bins is a total pain. i think we should still have weekly collections and for those who want to recycle should at least be given the option to do so. i do not have a problem with recycling but think the green bins should still be emptyed on a weekly basis as in the hot weather it will start smelling
Did you recycle before the arrival of the grey bin? If 'yes', then you must already have been sorting rubbish, and the grey bin just makes that process easier. And you can recycle more as well. If 'no', then it just sounds like you can't be bothered to recycle. In which case another question for you: are you prepared to pay extra council tax to have your green bin emptied every week? I most certainly am not, and I don't see why I should face the prospect of subsidising those who do.
Phil Watkinson, says...
9:46am Thu 26 Apr 07
Chris Bindall wrote:If the bins are left longer than a fortnight then that is a problem that needs to be overcome. It does not alter the fact that properly dealt with, food waste in a wheelie bin with the lid closed ought not to be a problem if collected every two weeks.
For once I'm in agreement with Ragnar! To Phil and Tina: It's not that people are against recycling, it's that they're against rotting food being left for a fortnight. And the last few weeks have shown that sometimes the bins are left longer than a fortnight. Twelve other councils have reverted to weekly food collections with fortnightly recyclables. Why would that be so hard? Perhaps they could chop some money from the Yet More Traffic Lights department to help pay for it. Or better still, use the money the council - or Biffa, whichever it is - will make from selling on the recyclables.
Once again, I ask the question - are you prepared to pay extra to have a weekly collection? I am not, I don't see the need for it, and I don't see why I should face the prospect of subsidising those who do.
KEN WALKER, BEBINGTON says...
10:41am Thu 26 Apr 07
THE MOST AMAZING PART OF ALL THIS RUBBISH SITUATION IS THE FACT THAT DAVE GREEN (DIRECTOR OF TECHNICAL SERVICES)IS ON RECORD AS SAYING FOOD MUST NOT BE PUT INTO THE BROWN BIN. THIS DIRECTLY CONTRADICTS ALL THE PAPERWORK I HAVE AND CONTRADICTS THE LABEL ON THE BIN.
THIS MAN OBVIOUSLY HAS A PROBLEM.
THIS MAN OBVIOUSLY HAS A PROBLEM.
KEN WALKER, BEBINGTON says...
10:44am Thu 26 Apr 07
ANYBODY TRIED TO TELEPHONE 606-2004 LATELY?
"YOU ARE IN POSTION 22" WAS THE LAST ATTEMPT. I'VE BEEN TRYINH TO RING THEM FOR A MONTH NOW, WITHOUT SUCCESS
"YOU ARE IN POSTION 22" WAS THE LAST ATTEMPT. I'VE BEEN TRYINH TO RING THEM FOR A MONTH NOW, WITHOUT SUCCESS
Mr Bollo, says...
10:45am Thu 26 Apr 07
Ahhhhh poor Kelly, so you have to sort YOUR rubbish out yourself do you? How tiresome for you...you are typical of the lazy, indolent masses in this country who expect everything to be handed to them on a plate. And as for the comment by 'withheld', surely it is far easier to put your recylable rubbish into a bin provided and collected by the council, rather than having to take it to a collection point in the car (causing extra pollution in the process). I don't use the Council leisure facilities, so should I then expect a refund on my Council tax??? I mean, what is wrong with these people...
Phil Watkinson, says...
10:47am Thu 26 Apr 07
Margaret Furber wrote:Can we just clear one thing up? The combined kitchen and garden waste scheme; unless and until the State Veterinary Service declares the compost from this process fit for use, it has to be land-filled. This is part of the procedure for getting an in-vessel composter up and running. The conditions are laid down by the SVS, not by Biffa and not by WMBC. You can only achieve the working conditions necessary to produce useable compost by processing compostable waste through the system. There IS no other way to achieve this, so it is incorrect (and bad journalism) to try and claim that residents' efforts so far have been in vain. The Birkenhead News carried a similar article about this some time back, and I made the same comments to them at that time.
As we all suspected recyling is a farse.we now know that most of our waste is sent to land fill.bin collections once a fornight is surly going back to the darkages when we had infestation of vermin running along our street .our concil tax has risen and the council want us to do their job of sorting and washing rubbish .next thing a water meter so to charge us for extra /wasted water to make sure we have clean "rubbish".surely there are jobs for the boys involved somewere here (only in the Town Hall through?)
And if I may tackle you on one other point - you say that "...the council want us to do their job of sorting and washing rubbish..." How do you work that out? It never was the council's job to sort and wash rubbish - you dumped it all in one bin and they dumped it all in landfill. Now they are asking you to rinse bottles and cans and put them (and your other recyclables) into your grey bin. Is that really asking too much? And if you were recycling before you got a grey bin, surely you were already sorting and washing bottle and cans anyway? Having the grey bin just makes the process easier for you, no trips to the recyling centre.
Phil Watkinson, says...
10:52am Thu 26 Apr 07
KEN WALKER wrote:He is correct - once again (and how many times do I have to explain this?) - if you were issued with a brown bin and NO KITCHEN CADDY, then your brown bin is for garden waste ONLY. It must not include any kitchen waste. If you were issued with a brown bin AND a caddy (which, Mr Walker, I assume you were), then you CAN put kitchen waste in the brown bin as well as garden waste.
THE MOST AMAZING PART OF ALL THIS RUBBISH SITUATION IS THE FACT THAT DAVE GREEN (DIRECTOR OF TECHNICAL SERVICES)IS ON RECORD AS SAYING FOOD MUST NOT BE PUT INTO THE BROWN BIN. THIS DIRECTLY CONTRADICTS ALL THE PAPERWORK I HAVE AND CONTRADICTS THE LABEL ON THE BIN. THIS MAN OBVIOUSLY HAS A PROBLEM.
kelly, west kirby says...
12:09pm Thu 26 Apr 07
MR BOLO IS THAT SHORT FOR ANYTHING. FOR ONE I AM NOT LAZY I HAVE GOT FOUR KIDS AND A LOT OF RUBBISH IT IS MUCH EASIER FOR ME TO PUT IT IN A BAG AND PLACE IT IN MY GREEN BIN OUTSIDE. IF I RECYCLE I TAKE IT ROUND TO MORRISONS THINGS LIKE BOTTLES, OLD NEWSPAPERS ETC THAT IS WHY THEY ARE THE THERE YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CALL ME LAZY YOU DONT KNOW ME I JUST THINK THEY SHOULD STILL HAVE THE BINS EMPTYED WEEKLY THAT IS WHAT WE ARE PAYING FOR ANYWAY.
KELLY, west kirby says...
12:16pm Thu 26 Apr 07
TO PHILL WATKINSON I HAVE ALWAYS TOOK THINGS ROUND TO THE BINS AT MORRISONS FOR RECYCLING I AM NOT AGAINST IT FOR GOD SAKE I JUST THINK THEY SHOULD STILL EMPTY THE GREEN BINS EVERY WEEK WITH THE FOOD WASTE IN THAT IS ALL IA M SAYING I DO NOT WANT TO BE CALLED LAZY BECAUSE I AM NOT MY BIN USED TO BE EMPTYED ON A TUESDAY AND BY MONDAY IT NEEDS EMPTYING AGAIN AND THAT IS WITH ME TAKING THINGS TO MORRISONS, I HAVE TWO CHILDREN IN NAPPIES AND THERE IS A LOT OF THEM OK THEY ARE IN A BAG BUT AFTER TWO WEEKS NOT A PLEASANT SMELL.
Pete H, Wirral says...
12:46pm Thu 26 Apr 07
If I wanted to be a binman, I would have deliberately failed my GCSEs.
Fact is: If Biffa can pay their staff five times the going rate NOT to empty thousands of bins on Bank Holidays, why not use that money to employ them to sort out our rubbish?
I also think certain people in certain (wealthy) parts of Wirral seem to be more in favour because they've got plenty more space in their gardens to stall their new family of bins.!
Fact is: If Biffa can pay their staff five times the going rate NOT to empty thousands of bins on Bank Holidays, why not use that money to employ them to sort out our rubbish?
I also think certain people in certain (wealthy) parts of Wirral seem to be more in favour because they've got plenty more space in their gardens to stall their new family of bins.!
Peter J, Wirral says...
12:55pm Thu 26 Apr 07
kelly wrote:Kelly,
MR BOLO IS THAT SHORT FOR ANYTHING. FOR ONE I AM NOT LAZY I HAVE GOT FOUR KIDS AND A LOT OF RUBBISH IT IS MUCH EASIER FOR ME TO PUT IT IN A BAG AND PLACE IT IN MY GREEN BIN OUTSIDE. IF I RECYCLE I TAKE IT ROUND TO MORRISONS THINGS LIKE BOTTLES, OLD NEWSPAPERS ETC THAT IS WHY THEY ARE THE THERE YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CALL ME LAZY YOU DONT KNOW ME I JUST THINK THEY SHOULD STILL HAVE THE BINS EMPTYED WEEKLY THAT IS WHAT WE ARE PAYING FOR ANYWAY.
What on God's planet are you on. Obviously sorting the rubbish into two seperate bins is too much to ask from someone who claims "not to be Lazy". They even give you a leaflet that tells you what to recycle and what not to recycle. How about you get the children to help???? Or are they too busy stealing cars? Its people like you that give these schemes a bad name.
If you have time to whinge about the scheme you already have doubled the ammount of time it would have needed to recycle a bin bag full of you rubbish.
I agree maybe the green bins should still be recycled weekly, but you should be recycling as much as possible.
If not, expect extra charges on your council tax!!!!!
j, wirral says...
12:59pm Thu 26 Apr 07
we shouldnt have to pay extra council tax to have our bins emptied one a week. we pay enough now.everything we seem to pay out is tax tax tax.tax for my car tax from my wages council tax,what next tax to have the bins in our garden!!
Phil Watkinson, says...
1:20pm Thu 26 Apr 07
KELLY wrote:By your own admission you already recycle, so no-one is calling you lazy (least ways, not me). But you have to admit that your statement about having to sort rubbish into separate bins being a "total pain" is in fact, nonsensical. Since you already recycle at Morrisons, the grey bin just makes that job easier. And better, since you can recycle more in the grey bin that you can at Morrisons (probably).
TO PHILL WATKINSON I HAVE ALWAYS TOOK THINGS ROUND TO THE BINS AT MORRISONS FOR RECYCLING I AM NOT AGAINST IT FOR GOD SAKE I JUST THINK THEY SHOULD STILL EMPTY THE GREEN BINS EVERY WEEK WITH THE FOOD WASTE IN THAT IS ALL IA M SAYING I DO NOT WANT TO BE CALLED LAZY BECAUSE I AM NOT MY BIN USED TO BE EMPTYED ON A TUESDAY AND BY MONDAY IT NEEDS EMPTYING AGAIN AND THAT IS WITH ME TAKING THINGS TO MORRISONS, I HAVE TWO CHILDREN IN NAPPIES AND THERE IS A LOT OF THEM OK THEY ARE IN A BAG BUT AFTER TWO WEEKS NOT A PLEASANT SMELL.
If you have four children at home and (presumably) a partner, then you are entitled to an extra green bin, or one larger one. That, plus the ability to recycle stuff in your grey bin that used to go in the green bin - cardboard, plastic bottles, etc - ought to fulfil your requirements, and once again (I am beginning to sound like a broken record, I know), food waste and the likes, bagged and tied, in a green bin with the lid down will not be a problem on a 2-weekly collection rota. If it is a bit whiffy when you open the lid just give it a squirt of air freshener - in the confined space of a wheelie bin it works wonders!
graham ellis, wallasey says...
1:24pm Thu 26 Apr 07
we pay an ever increasing council tax for an ever decreasing service!councillors get your act together and look after your voters!!!
Phil Watkinson, says...
1:26pm Thu 26 Apr 07
j wrote:You don't. Your bin does get emptied once a week. Green bin one week, grey bin the next...one day if I say this often enough the message might sink in!
we shouldnt have to pay extra council tax to have our bins emptied one a week. we pay enough now.everything we seem to pay out is tax tax tax.tax for my car tax from my wages council tax,what next tax to have the bins in our garden!!
But if you want a weekly green bin collection AND a grey bin collection (presumably every 2 weeks) that is a 50% increase in the number of collections per household. Do the maths - it won't come for free. ergo increased council tax.
Phil Watkinson, says...
1:37pm Thu 26 Apr 07
Pete H wrote:Your argument about pay for the public holidays is facile to say the least. Biffa did not pay their staff NOT to empty the bins. If the fact that collections would take place as normal on those days was not sufficiently well-publicised (which I am prepared to concede), that is the council's fault, not Biffa's.
If I wanted to be a binman, I would have deliberately failed my GCSEs. Fact is: If Biffa can pay their staff five times the going rate NOT to empty thousands of bins on Bank Holidays, why not use that money to employ them to sort out our rubbish? I also think certain people in certain (wealthy) parts of Wirral seem to be more in favour because they've got plenty more space in their gardens to stall their new family of bins.!
And I do hope your comment about those more in favour of this system is NOT meant to include me; leaving aside the facts that you do not know where I live, nor what my circumstances are, being 'in favour' of a scheme designed to reduce the amount of waste that we bury is about having some social responsibility, something that is a mark of a civilised society.
Ragnar, Brandenburg-Preußen. says...
1:57pm Thu 26 Apr 07
Phil Watkinson
And if you food waste is bagged and tied, why is it a problem?
The best known way in this world to foil a rat, cat, or a dog, a bin bag.
We have five seperate bins. Paper and glass emptied once per week, food and other waste two to three times per week. No problem.
The problem, not only on Wirral, but in U.K?
Councils using it as an excuse to "save money".
Phil Watkinson, says...
2:08pm Thu 26 Apr 07
Ragnar wrote:Duh....did IQ levels just drop suddenly? Or maybe it's because you don't LIVE here; we have wheelie bins. Solid plastic, with a lid on, rat, cat and dog-proof. Into which go your tied-up bin bags.
Phil Watkinson And if you food waste is bagged and tied, why is it a problem?The best known way in this world to foil a rat, cat, or a dog, a bin bag. We have five seperate bins. Paper and glass emptied once per week, food and other waste two to three times per week. No problem. The problem, not only on Wirral, but in U.K? Councils using it as an excuse to "save money".
I cannot speak for all parts of the UK of course, but this is the Wirral Globe web site on which we are discussing waste management for Wirral.
Mr Bollo, says...
3:04pm Thu 26 Apr 07
Kelly, STOP SHOUTING, I am not deaf...Peter J beat me to it, but I was also going to suggest you get your children to help with the recycling process. They will learn something valueable from the experience, and will hopefully one day look back in amazement at all the fuss over this issue. We ALL have a duty to recycle, there shouldn't be an opt out clause for anyone. The reasons for this should be obvious, especially to anyone with children. And you shouldn't be using disposable nappies anyway...
Sarah, Prenton says...
3:25pm Thu 26 Apr 07
Talk about 3 bins i only have 1 green bin at the moment and it is usually emptied on a wed......... quess what it has not been emptied since WED 11TH APRIL< i ahve 4 black bin bags on the drive as well as i overflowing bin???
what an utter joke this is, i have phoned the council 3 times and they assured me the bin would be emptied 25th april and quess what i came home last night from work to find the rubbish still outside. God help when i get the other bins will i wait 2 months for my bins to be emptied... The Council seriously needs to rethink this whole waste of time and money ( OUR MONEY)
what an utter joke this is, i have phoned the council 3 times and they assured me the bin would be emptied 25th april and quess what i came home last night from work to find the rubbish still outside. God help when i get the other bins will i wait 2 months for my bins to be emptied... The Council seriously needs to rethink this whole waste of time and money ( OUR MONEY)
Phil Watkinson, says...
3:31pm Thu 26 Apr 07
Anne Grunade wrote:There's some good stuff on the BBC News web site about where your recycled waste ends up. They looked at three councils, one in London, one in South Wales and one somewhere else (I forget where).
Forgive me if I seem silly, but I really don`t know. What happens to all the stuff we put in our recycling bin? Is it sorted out and sold to companies who reuse it? Is it collected free by companies who then reuse it and so keep costs down? I really try to do my bit and I suppose we will all get used to it in due course. Lots of people just don`t like their routine messed with, especially if it seems inept. What I really will object to is if we are being charged to gather paper, glass and plastic for someone to make profit. A solution would be to have small collection centres, where a small payment could be received per kilo, like weighing in scrap metal. I can imagine tidy streets as kids scramble for recycleable rubbish. Maybe a bit far-fetched, but who knows? P.S. Why can`t you put paper that you have shredded for security reasons in the grey bin?
The idea of 'cash for recyclables' is a good one - I can remember scavenging for empty pop bottles to get the 3d (old money!) back on them.
You can't put shredded paper in your grey bin because the sorting process doesn't like it apparently. I put mine in my compost bin (I'm lucky enough to have a large garden), but you can just stick it in the green bin if you don't compost. I can recommend composting though if you have room for it - I got 160 litres of lovely clean, free compost out of mine the other week.
Phil Watkinson, says...
3:49pm Thu 26 Apr 07
A note for KELLY - I may have been mistaken in my post above. I think you can only have an extra bin if you have MORE than six occupants in one house. But you can have one (temporarily) if you have children in disposable nappies I believe. Streetscene should be able to advise correctly.
KELLY, west kirby says...
6:04pm Thu 26 Apr 07
a thank you to phill i will be ringing street scene tomorrow about getting another bin. and i quick note to mr bolo what should i use instead of nappies everybody uses them now days.
tina, says...
6:56pm Thu 26 Apr 07
Phil Watkinson (and those who agree with him) are the only ones talking sense here! For goodness sake, stop whingeing and get on with recycling! One way to make it easier is to have 2 (small) bins in the kitchen, one with a liner for food waste etc. and one without for plastic, paper, bottles. When each bin is full, tie up the bin liner (food), and put it in the green bin, and tip the recyclables into the grey bin outside. Then all the sorting is done in the comfort of your own home, no problem! And as someone said, those with big families should be teaching their kids to recycle - it's their future we are trying to make a better one. They will not thank us if we mess things up by being pathetic....
Ragnar, Brandenburg-Preußen. says...
8:53am Fri 27 Apr 07
Phil Watkinson
we have wheelie bins. Solid plastic, with a lid on, rat, cat and dog-proof.
Allways assuming, of course, that after one and a half to two weeks of kitchen waste, there is enough room to close the lid.
Pete H, Wirral says...
9:31am Fri 27 Apr 07
Phil Watkinson:
We've heard your point.
Very succinct.
Very passionate.
Very well put.
But we disagree .
Do you understand?
We've heard your point.
Very succinct.
Very passionate.
Very well put.
But we disagree .
Do you understand?
Phil Watkinson, says...
10:07am Fri 27 Apr 07
Pete H wrote:I understand that you disagree. But I cannot understand (a) why some people consistently fail to read or follow relatively simple instructions (which is why I seem to be repeating myself so much on here!) and (b) why some people seem to be so dead ste against the new alternate weekly collection scheme. Someone on another web site put it better than I can -
Phil Watkinson: We've heard your point. Very succinct. Very passionate. Very well put. But we disagree . Do you understand?
"If you've already decided it won't work you'll do your best to make sure it doesn't"
Phil Watkinson, says...
10:16am Fri 27 Apr 07
Ragnar wrote:Which, if you are recycling everything that you can (on Wirral, at any rate), ought to be true. For example...we are a family of four. On Monday this week my green (residual) bin was emptied. Apart from an old pillow, it is still empty today, 4 days on. My grey (recycling) bin was emptied on the 16th, it is due to be emptied again on Monday next. Currently it is about 75% full. It's still early days for us, but I cannot see any reason why the situation will be radically different in the future. Even before we got our grey bin, when I couldn't recycle cardboard and plastic bottles, our green bin was never full to overflowing. Squashing the bin bags down before you tie them makes a huge difference for one thing!
Phil Watkinson we have wheelie bins. Solid plastic, with a lid on, rat, cat and dog-proof.Allways assuming, of course, that after one and a half to two weeks of kitchen waste, there is enough room to close the lid.
Dave, Eastham says...
10:27am Fri 27 Apr 07
Can anyone out there tell me if the 5x payment to Biffa refuse collectors for Bank holiday collections was a one off or is it going to be the norm?
Pete H, Wirral says...
10:41am Fri 27 Apr 07
Good grief, Phil. The point YOU'RE missing is that it doesn't matter how many bloody bins we have, the council aren't emptying them!
You might be one of the few lucky ones - the people who are complaining are not!
This is not about recycling - this is about council incompetence.
Wind your bloody neck in!
You might be one of the few lucky ones - the people who are complaining are not!
This is not about recycling - this is about council incompetence.
Wind your bloody neck in!
Mr Bollo, says...
10:58am Fri 27 Apr 07
Pete H, I think you will probably find that the VAST MAJORITY of peoples' bins ARE being emptied - but they aren't going to come on here and bang on about it because having a service that works obviously isn't an issue. There is no way I can prove this of course, but then a few photos of some unemptied bins taken by some desperate Wirral Globe hack doesn't prove that this is a huge problem either. People have got so use to just throwing stuff away that there is bound to be an adjustment period for the new system. It does however involve a certain amount of effort on the part of EVERYONE. Clearly however, this is too much to expect of some people...
Phil Watkinson, says...
11:16am Fri 27 Apr 07
Pete H wrote:The news article that heads this is about the recyclng 'shambles' (their word, not mine) - for example, pointing out that mixed kitchen and garden waste is currently going to landfill, without explaining fully why that is.
Good grief, Phil. The point YOU'RE missing is that it doesn't matter how many bloody bins we have, the council aren't emptying them! You might be one of the few lucky ones - the people who are complaining are not! This is not about recycling - this is about council incompetence. Wind your bloody neck in!
I agree with you wholeheartedly that there are problems with the delivery of our waste collection and recycling services. And I agree wholeheartedly that the problems need to be addressed, and quickly. For every recycling 'enthusiast' like me there are probably scores of people who are disinterested - if they have a system that works, they will use it, but if they lose confidence in the system that's all it takes to put them off for life.
A lot of the comments above seem to be from people who, for one reason or another, do not understand the system, and I would hope that my replies are of some assistance to them and will encourage them to persevere until things get sorted out. In many cases I am sure their misunderstandings are due to a lack of information from the council, and I have pointed out that communications is one area in which there is most definitely room for improvement.
If I occasionally sound rather over-zealous, well that is not my intention. I am not a paid-up member of Greenpeace or FoE!
uptown girl, heswall says...
11:44am Fri 27 Apr 07
The thing is this, I don't give a rat's arse about recycling.
You're not gonna "save the planet" by putting a few bottles in a bin.
In case you lot ain't noticed yet, industrial plants in India, China and the USA are pumping millions of tons of poisonous gas into the atmosphere EVERY DAY.
Unless that stops, and soon, the planet will be beyond saving anyway.
You're not gonna "save the planet" by putting a few bottles in a bin.
In case you lot ain't noticed yet, industrial plants in India, China and the USA are pumping millions of tons of poisonous gas into the atmosphere EVERY DAY.
Unless that stops, and soon, the planet will be beyond saving anyway.
Mrs. Coleman, Upton says...
12:14pm Fri 27 Apr 07
My bins has not been emptied yet again.Two days later and then still haven't been emptied. What's there excuse! If the bin lorry was full surely it doesn't take that longer too empty them.
Gail, Tranmere says...
12:49pm Fri 27 Apr 07
I think the main problem with the system is how disorganised it is!I got a flyer through the door last week telling me to put my green bin out on my new day and then my grey the next week.The problem there?the whole street didn't have grey bins.I rung Streetscene and was informed that we should have had them and the info etc.The bins arrived the next day and yes i was miffed at first not with the recycling but with the short notice info etc.Anyway a week has passed and im finding it no problem at all.My green bin is bearly half full and there are 5 of us in the house and my grey when emptied today was 3/4s full!I do as has been prev mentioned i have a sep little bin for the recycling and just put it straight in the grey when full.My kids do it as second nature now,my daughter was rinsing out and putting plastic bottles from her packed lunch in there last night!I was sceptical re the weekly collection and the quote if you are using the bins correctly you will only need them emptying every other week,but it seems so far to be true!
Mr Bollo, says...
1:10pm Fri 27 Apr 07
uptown girl wrote:Uptown girl??? Up your own **** more like! Why does it not surprise me that someone from Heswall, home of the 4x4 driving upper- middle class elitist snob, would make such a selfish statement. We KNOW people like you don't care, you're all too busy having your hair and nails done, you facile twot!!!
The thing is this, I don't give a rat's arse about recycling. You're not gonna "save the planet" by putting a few bottles in a bin. In case you lot ain't noticed yet, industrial plants in India, China and the USA are pumping millions of tons of poisonous gas into the atmosphere EVERY DAY. Unless that stops, and soon, the planet will be beyond saving anyway.
Phil Watkinson, says...
1:28pm Fri 27 Apr 07
uptown girl wrote:Well b*gger off and live in China then. Sounds like it would be just your kind of place.
The thing is this, I don't give a rat's arse about recycling. You're not gonna "save the planet" by putting a few bottles in a bin. In case you lot ain't noticed yet, industrial plants in India, China and the USA are pumping millions of tons of poisonous gas into the atmosphere EVERY DAY. Unless that stops, and soon, the planet will be beyond saving anyway.
It's not necessarily about 'saving the planet'. I have my own views on the global warming debate, and they don't fit with the 'established' mainstream view. But anyone with any common sense must see that the amount of waste we generate is shameful. If for no other reason than to stop wasting our resources we should all be recycling what we can.
Pook, London says...
1:24pm Wed 25 Apr 07