former East Dulwich councillor - how can I help?

[Siduhe]

Isn't the reason the garden waste collections (brown bin) are moving to weekly, because the food waste is going to be stored in the brown bins as well? So there is a planned weekly collection of biodegradable food/kitchen/garden waste and recyclables, and all remaining waste is collected fortnightly.

I hadn't thought about things like nappies though - good point - can't see too many people being happy with a fortnightly collection of those!

[James Barber]

Exactly why Cambridge Council spent a year working with residents to get such changes just right.

Nappies stored for a week probably not a problem if tightly wrapped in plastic bag but people will think it a problem and look to take them elsewhere to dispose of. Unintended consequences of any proposed scheme can kill it.

[BrandNewGuy]

Siduhe Wrote:

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

> Isn't the reason the garden waste collections

> (brown bin) are moving to weekly, because the food

> waste is going to be stored in the brown bins as

> well? So there is a planned weekly collection of

> biodegradable food/kitchen/garden waste and

> recyclables, and all remaining waste is collected

> fortnightly.

I can see that, but calling it 'food waste' is going to lead to all sorts of problems. We put our compostable kitchen waste (potato peelings, carrot tops etc) into the brown bin already, which the Council says not to, almost certainly because some people will lob all their kitchen waste into it - chicken carcasses and all. Maybe they're not planning on composting the brown waste in future, which would be a shame...

When I nosey-parker down our road, I see bins full to overflowing every week, many in households of just two or three poeple. I can only assume that either people can't be a*sed to recycle all their stuff (which isn't exactly difficult) or they buy too much crap in the first place ;-)

[louisiana]

It would take me about 3 months to fill my enormous green (non-recycling) bin (if the rubbish wasn't collected). But the blue box is always full to overflowing, and likewise the blue bags (I have 2).

I'd welcome the opportunity to send more stuff to recycling i.e. food waste.

[James Barber]

Council officers told the previous adminstration that the food recycling collections apparently required the Integrated Waste Management Facility to be built on the Old Kent Road. This wont be finished until 2011. So I've asked where is proposed to receive all this food waste.

Hi louisina,

You can request a smaller green bin. The normal sized ones are 240L and the smaller ones are 180L. Takes up less room.

Call 020 7525 2000. Any problems please let me know.

Hi BrandNewGuy,

It is amazing how much rubbish our society generates. Much can't be recycled.

[peckhamboy]

James Barber Wrote:

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

> Exactly why Cambridge Council spent a year working

> with residents to get such changes just right.

>

> Nappies stored for a week probably not a problem

> if tightly wrapped in plastic bag but people will

> think it a problem and look to take them elsewhere

> to dispose of. Unintended consequences of any

> proposed scheme can kill it.

But what you're suggesting is nappies stored for two weeks, not one. And especially in the height of summer, that is going to be extremely unpleasant, even if tightly wrapped. That said, food waste collection would be a great idea and reduce the amount of rubbish in the green bin for us at least - regrettably, because we both work unpredictable long hours, food waste ends up being a large part of our rubbish at times, and we don't have enough garden to warrant doing our own composting. So a weekly garden/food collection and a weekly green bin collection (with a half-size green bin) would seem to work for us. Others might have different ideas. Agreed that the blue bins are not large enough at times, but we've somehow ended up with two of them so that does the trick.

[BARA]

Bromley have been doing food waste recycling for some time. My daughter has a small lidded green container in the kitchen where all cooked food waste is stored. It goes out for collection each week, no problem with foxes or other animals.

If anything, the blue recycling box needs to be bigger - In West Sussex - recycling is in a large wheelie bin.

Normally there are 2 of us at home but with visits from family including 5 grandchildren who stay overnight, we rarely have a

bin full. Sometimes we only have one black bag per fortnight.

I can walk down Barry Road and see over flowing bins, but hardly anything in the blue box. I think some people are either too lazy or generally do not care about the environment.

[James Barber]

If anyone needs more blue boxes of bags just make your requests via 020 7525 2000.

Any problems with that let me know.

[James Barber]

Today is the 1st birthday of this thread.

I'd like to say a big thank you for the generally warm and sometimes generous welcome I've had.

We've worked together to find information out and fix things.

If you have anything involving the local council that isn't done well, annoys you or you think plain stupid please let me know and I'll try and improve things with you.

[peterstorm1985]

There are only two of us at home so I would expect a family to fill a bin a lot quicker than us but it would take more than a month for our bin to be full. And I know that there are some things in our bin that with a bit more effort could be cleaned or segregated and put in the recycling.

I can understand that someone using disposable nappies will have a full bin but, otherwise, I really cannot imagine what there is in such large quantities that cannot be recycled.

I would, genuinely, be interested in hearing from someone who does fill their bin every week as to what it contains, if only because there may be potentially recyclable items that Southwark have not made provision for.

[James Barber]

Hi peterstorm1985,

I'm keen that we don't all become bin vigilantes!

Also recognise that the planned pilot described by an officer as "bad news" for the borough could really benefit from real community engagement to ensure it works well and every type of item disposed is planned for. Which I think it what you're saying.

[peterstorm1985]

Don't worry about me James - I'm not suggesting anyone becomes a vigilante. Far from it. I do not support anyone being fined for putting the wrong rubbish into a bin, or any other penalty method of compliance. I openly admit that sometimes I forget and drop a food can in the general rubbish.

What I'm keen on is an open debate and, to inform that debate, we do need to know what those who have potentially overflowing bins (if collections move to once a fortnight) are putting in them.

I want to know this so that I can understand if it is simply a lack of will to recycle, a misunderstanding of what can be recycled, or if there are items that generate these large quantities that Southwark have not considered. At the moment I cannot work out which of these it is as my household does not generate anything like the levels of waste that other households do. There is a risk that I, and others like me, might make judgements based solely on our own experience if we don't acquire the relevant information.

So, come on, anyone with a full bin - What's in it?

[James Barber]

One thought would be polystyrene - bulky, often in boxes for electrical goods and doesn't break down and isn't recyclable.

Sure other items.

[expat]

polystyrene can AFAIK be recycled, that is not to say Sourthwark currently do so

[elliescott]

Hi James,

I wrote some time ago and we discussed the radar speed sign at the top of Barry Rd. It has not been working for months in fact I think it stopped working last year. This is the only thing we have on Barry Rd to make people aware of their speed. I appreciate its a main bus route and that rules out speed bumps but there has to be something else that can be done to reduce the speed that some drivers do. Its scary sometimes how fast cars fly down the road. I have a 2 1/2 year old and it really concerns me that I don't feel safe walking down our road.

The least that can happen is that the sign is repaired but it would be good to get a speed camera set up.

Please, this is important for all the residence of Barry Rd.

Thanks

Ellie

[BARA]

With the road works in Barry Rd/LLane - there are some idiots who think they can overtake everyone else and get a little closer to the lights and frequently drive on the wrong side of the road forgetting/ignoring on coming traffic The area by Etherow Street is becoming the favourite spot to do this. Residents like me who would normally turn right into Barry to get into LL are now turning left and going round the block i.e. CP Road, to get to Goose Green, I have had to do a couple of emergency stops due to such idiots. Also - pedestrians are getting a raw deal as if they try to cross through the waiting traffic- they are suddenly confronted with overtaking cars.

[edanna]

Re rubbish, nappies do make up a lot of it. Tetrapaks are one of the things I'd like to recycle. They are not mentioned either positively or negatively on the blue bag but I assume they come under 'plastic-coated paper', which you can't put in there. Also some plastics say they aren't recyclable. Chicken bones, prawn shells, foil bags etc.

[Miacis]

Just to say that I got the following very helpful response from Southwark today re getting something sorted pedestrian safety at the LL/Barry road junction. Got Tessa Jowell and the school on the case too so that clearly worked.

Good Afternoon ,

Thank you for enquiry regarding the Temporary Traffic Signal at the above junction.

The engineering works on Lordship Lane are expected to be completed by Tuesday 7th Sept, however the reinstatement of the carriageway will take until Friday 10th. I have arranged for a School Crossing Patrol Officer to be place at the junction, (costed to Southern Gas Networks), to assist with the children crossing but unfortunately they will not have anyone available until Monday morning so I have instructed SGN to have a New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA) qualified operative on site to assist the children at the crossings.

Well done Southwark!

[elloriac]

Tetrapaks can be recycled at Sainsburys on Dog Kennel Hill and I noticed that there are now tetrapak bins in the car park at Peckham Rye Park. Of course, it would be ideal that Southwark would collect them at the door, but there are places that we can take them...

[James Barber]

Hi ellisscott,

I feel equally frustrated and have again report this activ speed sign not working. Southwark seems to have a permanent problem keeping these in a good state - see one on Crystal Palace Road which I've also reported several times.

Hi expat,

I didn't know that.

Hi elloriac, edanna,

Tetrapaks became quite an election issue. As then it isn't clear whether recycling them is good idea it feels while they have to be exported to Sweden to be recycled as no plant operates anywhere else capable of stripping them down to recyclable components. I've quite some correspondence with Tetrapak people and they are unable to provide a life cycle report to show the merits of recycling them. Saying that it feels good and 6 large supermarkets in Southwark have Tetrapak recyclnig facilities collecting last time i heard 14kg of Tetrapaks in total each week. Southwark generates over 100,000 tonnes of waste.

Hi Miacis,

I was releived to hear people would be on hand to assist with crossings.

I'm arranging a briefing with council officers as to how such a junction could be dug for such planned works during term time. If they have to be, then proactively as part of the traffic management order (TMO) that the utility proposes council officers should demand such crossing patrols.

[James Barber]

Food waste pilot.

I received details late yesterday that at present Southwark/Veolia don't actually have anywhere to send collected food waste. Negotiations are taking place with Greenwich to receive it and 'bulking' it prior to reprocessing. No contract for the reporcessing component either yet. Fingers crossed they find a solution in befroe the pilot starts in 4 weeks time.

[James Barber]

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[elloriac]

Hi James, we don't seem to have any choice about whether we get Tetrapaks or not, and their use seems to be growing and growing at supermarkets. Tetrapak claim to be a carbon neutral company so I assume that they are offsetting the shipping costs to Sweden. Though we can have a whole separate argument about the usefulness of offsetting... I would argue that the 14kg per week is a reflection of people having to make an effort to recycle them, rather than lack of demand for recycling facilities. Ideally we wouldn't have tetrapaks at all...

[James Barber]

Hi elloriac,

I'm fascinated by Tetrapak as surprisngly emotive issue - most recyclnig is - few interested in the whoel life cycle.

Perhaps Tetrapak are carbon neutral not just the selling of its producets but even the recyclnig of its products. I suspect the former and not the latter else they would have been happy to release their life cycle management data which they weren't.

The key to Tetrapak recycling is creating sufficeint demand to warrnate reprocessing in near to customer. IDeally a plant in SE england and another in NW England. This probably need national support from the supplier creating the infrastructure. UNtil then they ship to Sweden and its not clear whether the resources recovered from what is a complicated produce warrante that shipping. Apparently it is good quality cardboard and the resell rate for recycled cardboard is good. Hence some Local Authorities colelct cardboard seperate from paper.

NB I'm fine with offsetting done well.

[mikese22]

elloriac Wrote:

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> Hi James, we don't seem to have any choice about

> whether we get Tetrapaks or not,

You could always buy products in plastic bottles instead, which seem to be easier to recycle....?