Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Pictures of the effects of no rubbish collection on Green Lanes for two days
After just three missed collections Green Lanes was looking like this
If you are a glutton for punishment there are more here
Bearing in mind that I took these after just 24 hours with no rubbish collection this morning at 11.00. There seems to be a few people who are indulging in a little light junk clearance as there is an old chair, a fridge and a whole bed dumped at the top of Kimberley Gardens. In an odd way I'd like to see what would happen if there was no collection for a week and at what point the people blithely putting their bags out would realise something was up and stop. Yes I know people above shops have limited space and they may have problems with vermin but I really think they could have kept their chair/jacket/wood for a day or two and maybe taken advantage of the recycling facility to dump a few cans?
If you are a glutton for punishment there are more here
Bearing in mind that I took these after just 24 hours with no rubbish collection this morning at 11.00. There seems to be a few people who are indulging in a little light junk clearance as there is an old chair, a fridge and a whole bed dumped at the top of Kimberley Gardens. In an odd way I'd like to see what would happen if there was no collection for a week and at what point the people blithely putting their bags out would realise something was up and stop. Yes I know people above shops have limited space and they may have problems with vermin but I really think they could have kept their chair/jacket/wood for a day or two and maybe taken advantage of the recycling facility to dump a few cans?
Tags for Forum Posts: Green Lanes, street cleaning, strike action, timed waste collection
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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As a post script to this, it appears that a lot of these bags have been cleared this evening, but I do not envy the road sweepers job tomorrow, especially round by the Warham road bus stop.
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Permalink Reply by Lucy Whitman on
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I get just as worked up about litter and dumped rubbish as "Mrs Litter", which really affects the quality of life round here, and I often feel very frustrated by the poor standards achieved by the people whose job it is to clear it all up. I too felt pretty sick when I saw the mounds of rubbish which have piled up on Green Lanes during the strike over the last couple of days. However, it did make me realise what a gigantic task the council waste removal and street cleaning teams have each day, to remove that volume of rubbish. (That made me feel slightly less critical of their work!)
It seems that massive additional investment is needed in order for our streets to reach an acceptable level of cleanliness, given the huge amount of rubbish which is generated each day. Apart from people's bad habits of dropping and dumping rubbish, it seems to me that the biggest problem is the fact that the residents of the flats above the shops on Green Lanes do not have any rubbish or recycling collected from their own premises and are expected to put their rubbish on Green Lanes at agreed times. I think this system is completely mad, and leads to a free for all whereby people think it is ok to leave carrier bags full of rubbish anywhere on Green Lanes at any time. (No doubt many people do not fully understand the system, especially given that the population is quite transient and many of the occupants of the flats have limited English.)
I think we should be arguing for the council to put large bins (both rubbish and recyling), from which they should make daily collections, at the Green Lanes ends of all the side streets for the use of these residents.
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Permalink Reply by Susan Herrington on
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I do not think a 'massive additional investment' is needed. People just need to do their jobs. I have found that generally - the streets do seem cleaner than they have been in the past. I have been so busy, I did not even notice the strike!! I am sure that the rubbish will be cleared away.
I just want the rubbish to continue to be collected once a week - and I will work towards keeping it this way. We already pay enough in our rates to have the streets cleaned and the rubbish removed. I do not want to have to pay any more.
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I did not suggest that rubbish collection should be increased for those of us lucky enough to have dustbins in our front gardens. Once a week is plenty. But the people who live in the flats above the shops on Green Lanes do not have a rubbish collection service at all, or any kerbside recycling collection. They are expected to put their rubbish out on Green Lanes and it is collected from there each day. If large bins were provided for them and emptied each day this should not cost any more than the current service (which actually encourages everybody else to drop litter and dump rubbish, as Green Lanes always looks such a mess, that other people think “Well, one more bag of rubbish isn’t going to make things any worse”.)
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Permalink Reply by matt on
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> In an odd way I'd like to see what would happen if there was no collection for a week.
See;
http://environmentdebate.wordpress.com/2008/01/07/uk-top-of-landfil...
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Permalink Reply by Anette on
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Frightening. It just proves how rubbish atracts rubbish.
Liz, are the street-cleaning going ahead as normal? If so, they've done a s**t job on my road. Again.
I think our streets would look a lot better if the people who are responsible for cleaning them did their job properly. If I'd been their supervisor I would have asked them to go back and do it again until it was done they way it should be done.
I can dream..
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Permalink Reply by David Jones on
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So, don't you agree the council workers who have to clear up this mess deserve better than a 2.45% pay rise this year. They have had well below inflation rises for the past several years.
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Matt, I think you're right! Good link by the way. People seem to go in denial don't they and carry on regardless instead of changing their habits even for a few days.
David, if there is one thing that has brought home how much of an essential service street cleaning and rubbish clearance are, it is seeing what happens when it stops. Perhaps if Enterprise cut into their 25 million pretax profits to pay their workers a decent wage? I cetainly believe you are not going to get top service if you don't pay workers. Morale is low, pay is low, they are under resourced and they are issued with stupid directives rather than supported and celebrated.
With regard to the collection of rubbish on Green lanes, I believe this system was agreed because it was decided that there was nowhere practically that bins could be stored and protected. Without cages like these
I suspect they would become magnets for fly tipping and casual littering. So the council has to try and make the system work. Enterprise have agreed that the paper signs need to be replaced with metal so they don't wear out or slip down. Careful thought has to be given as to where they are placed as some people think the sign is the collection point, perhaps it should be. There needs to be engagement with traders as it can't be good for business for their shop fronts to be dirty or have piles of rubbish from local residents clogging up the streets. They can help with enforcement by keeping an eye and reporting as well as ensuring that their own house is in order re litter (Zams and Lion King, this means you). The council must recognise that the population of flats above shops are often short term and ensure that landlords include information on waste disposal in their contracts and make it clear what the penalties are. Residents themselves must be regularly updated on the system and yes, where there are hard core flouters, fines. The trucks must keep to their side of the bargain and turn up on time and not be late or early as this will encourage people to think the system is 'flexible'. A regular wash down of Green lanes would send signals out about cleanliness and expectations as well.
Recycling on Green lanes is difficult but not impossible, there are facilities at either end of the road and while they may not be able to do everything, they could for example decide to ensure that all their cans go to the bins outside the Salisbury. Before the home collection, I used to take great big bags of recycling to sainsbury's hung on the back of the buggy (no car) and at that point I was in full time employment with a toddler. It takes effort but by starting small a little difference can be made.
Another thought is split bins on the road. They don't have to be big. I saw small ones in Spain on the beach and this Berlin picture shows another option.
A poster campaign and some investment of time by those at the top, Brian a photo op! to publicise would also be helpful.
Photos courtesy of Stephen H
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Permalink Reply by StephenBln on
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One small point on the photos.
The colour coding of the different types of bin is used throughout the city.
Good, especially for those who don't understand the language.
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Personally, I am not convinced that having proper bins would make dumping or casual littering any worse than it already is. However, if we do continue with the present system, a big public information and awareness campaign is a must. Information packs for landlords and tenants, and signs on Green Lanes all need to be provided in a number of different languages. This goes for information about recycling too.
I absolutely agree with all of Liz's other points, and agree with both David and Liz about paying a decent wage to everyone who works to provide local services.
I think I have recently seen split rubbish/recycling bins not far from here. Was it in Clissold Park? People do need to be encouraged to recycle when they are "on the go" not just when they are at home.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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If you were a fox you would be cursing the the wheelie bins. They are very hard to tip over, if you are a fox that is.
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Permalink Reply by Ruth on
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The rubbish issue is one that never goes away. Too many thoughtless and uncaring people who dont give a damn where they put their junk. My street (Stanhope Gardens, Monday 4th) has an old armchair blocking the pavement plus a carpet. probably the same householder has just chucked the stuff out. This is a normal day. The council says it is getting tough on dumpers but are they? I cant see much sign of it otherwise such persistant dumpers would have been found and prosecuted? It would take much to see who the persistant dumpers are.
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