Forum Topic

Recycling (or lack of)

Does anyone else in block of flats have no access to any recycling?? We used have many years ago but council “banned” us as some people would throw rubbish in. This was over 10y ago. . I Used to drag stuff around to Waitrose but now even they have gone so everything has to go in the bin. Wondered if anyone else in same boat? It’s 30 flats mostly families so a lot of stuff just going in the bin.

Erika Griffiths ● 1672d16 Comments

if you get knowhere with your Councillors and the lead on Recycling.https://westlondonwaste.gov.uk/take-action/They will provide posters and give a talk (or they did before Covid).  Another avenue you can try.

Philippa Bond ● 1670d

@Erika  The recycling collection must have changed since you had yours removed from your flats.  So it may work better.Why not contact others in your block of flats so that you can find like minded people with which to approach the Council.  Mik Sabiers has always told me how important recycling is to them.We are of course waiting to see what this Govt comes up with with regards to changes to the system.It was good to hear that the ban on plastic straws and stirrers has at last come into place.  The number of times I've kicked myself because I'd forgotten to say "no straw please" and then received one in a drink in a bar is irritating.  Cheaper for the bar without. There are alternatives that don't cause such harm and if you feel you need one you can take your own.

Philippa Bond ● 1670d

The clothes/shoes and electrical recycling bins are still there, the others have gone

Peter Hayes ● 1670d

I live in a small block of flats. We have a binshed which contains general rubbish bins & recycling bins.  Both get collected on a weekly basis. We are also issued with clear mixed recycling sacks 3 times a year. I believe this arrangement applies to just small blocks only but will be happy to be corrected.

Bettina Margaret Thwaite ● 1670d

There isn’t anywhere else locally that I can see. I’m a wheelchair user so while I could drag odd bag to Waitrose (end of my road) it’s not something I could do for everything or for very far.

Erika Griffiths ● 1670d

Thanks I did not know about possibility of clear bags. We haven’t been offered any at least that would mean those that want to recycle can and just drag them out to pavement on allotted days I shall email them and try make some progress. I’m guessing Waitrose went under covid measures but wouldn’t blame them for not bringing it back as was often a mess.

Erika Griffiths ● 1670d

There used to be more neighbourhood recycling banks but the belief is that now that we have a kerbside collection for a lot of recycling that we don't need them.  There are lots of other things though that won't easily fit in a bin.I don't know who maintains the Waitrose facility.  I suspect that it is Waitrose who have to clear up when people dump stuff that quite obviously does not belong there.  That would mean that they have to pay for commercial waste removal.

Philippa Bond ● 1671d

A guess here, but I suspect that Waitrose management got fed up with how poorly the facility was being maintained.  At times the sight of overflowing bins and loose rubbish was quite appalling. All close to the main entrance as well.But as I say, a guess, and happy to be corrected but whatever we certainly the Borough needs more, not less, of these satellite facilities.

Philip Coe ● 1671d

Did you know that there is a Facebook page  I think it is Ealing Reduce Reuse & Recycling.

Philippa Bond ● 1671d

@ Kala Mitty Jayne  Really?  The gate costs/landfill taxes are far too expensive for that as I believe they still go up each year - especially designed by Parliament to discourage the use of landfill.  There are much better uses for it.  The earth has finite resources and we need to reduce and reuse our waste as much as we can to reduce our pollution of it.This is the last list of where your recycling goes:https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201171/recycling_services/276/what_happens_to_your_recyclingIt all depends on the uses and contracts that are available for the different sorted recyclates.and that doesn't cover the very valuable food waste which goes to make compost, biogas and electricity.One banana skin apparently makes enough electricity to charge a mobile phone twice.

Philippa Bond ● 1671d

I read somewhere that the Waitrose facility was closing but is it just temporarily?It is still listed on the Ealing website:https://www.ealing.gov.uk/directory/29/neighbourhood_recycling_sites/category/75

Philippa Bond ● 1671d

Probably goes to landfill anyways

Kala Mitty Jayne ● 1671d

Probably goes to landfill anyways

Kala Mitty Jayne ● 1671d

Have the recycling bins gone from Waitrose? I didn't notice! What's the thinking behind that?

Susan Kelly ● 1671d

https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201171/recycling_services/291/flats_and_red_route_recyclingHave you contacted your Councillors about this?It is unfortunate that so often a small minority can spoil things for the majority.Good luck.  Any enquiry I make I am told that the Council takes recycling seriously.You will be able to find your Councillors' names on the www.ealing.gov.uk website.You will also be able to find other neighbourhood recycling banks.

Philippa Bond ● 1672d

LBE offer mixed clear sack recycling for flats with no storage space for containers.

Fred Hunt ● 1672d