Harringay online

Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Over on another conversation, I suggested neighbours working together to make a start on fixing the awful bin blight we've been saddled with. Below is the conversation. Do you want to help out on your street?

Tags for Forum Posts: new recycling bins, veolia

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Oh, please. Not more mugshots of smirking smiling pols. There are alternatives.

Floral Bin

Some places in London have communal bins, but I can't think why anyone would want to have a communal bin in front of their house.  Even if it is underground we would see dumping of larger items etc on a continual basis.  I would argue for smaller bins for "normal" households and fewer bins for Multiple Occupants and a return to weekly collection of all types of rubbish.  While they are at it it would be nice if the binmen didnt drop half the rubbish between the house and the lorry, this seems to be worse than ever despite the rubbish being securely in a wheelie bin.  On our road they seem to clean the street on Saturday and then on Monday they empty the bins and make it really messy for the whole week.  It would also be nice if they didn't just dump all the bins by the gate.  Its not particularly helpful that by this action they clearly show whether someone is home or not.  I think leafletting on options available is a great idea.  I did something similar on Alexandra Road years ago on a different topic and had fantastic feedback from residents.

I tend to agree - communal bins fine as long as it's nowhere near my house - so and so forth.

Alison, I'm happy to help with Seymour as well -- they're taking up way too much of my plant space!

Hugh
Can you post what types of bins are available and what is possible. Forms too please. May take this up locally. Our roads in Muswell Hill are clogged with large bins for single dwelling households.

Some avenue houses have a great number of flats and have rows of bins outside, if they have the space, fewer larger bins wd look better.

I share my neighbours black bin for waste with her permission (share washing of the bin every 2 months or so). I recycle in green plastic bags provided in rolls by Vieola, since I have stairs and restricted dragging space. The bags are an option if there s problems dragging bins up and down or nowhere practical to place them. It triggered a visit from Vieola initially to verify, and they collected the wheelies they d initially delivered. Just pointing out the bags could be an option, rather than have green wheelies on pavements or blocking an entrance.

Pls post your findings, its something we can look at doing in Muswell Hill too, thank you for initiating this!

Best wishes
Lynne

Here are some bin pictures. We'll be sure to update this thread as things progress with forms and results.

I rang Viola and for a smaller rubbish bin to replace my large rubbish bin and a small recycling bin to replace my box. 3 weeks later they were deliverd.

Simples!

Simples it would be if Veolia were always as efficient and everyone was as proactive as you. Sadly experience suggests that life is more complicatedes.

I just noticed this article about this project in the Haringey Independent from last week:

Harringay community group sets out to tackle bin issues

 

Group sets out to tackle bin issues

Members of a community group are planning to join together to try and sort out issues with bins in their area.

People living in Harringay Green Lanes are planning to take action over the new bin policy which they say has left their streets in a mess.

Members of online group Harringey Online say they are tired of waiting for Haringey Council and waste contractor Veolia to sort the problem and plan to knock on doors to ask people if they want a smaller rubbish bin and help them order it.

Organiser Hugh Flouch, said: “One of the main reason we’ve chosen to do this is to tidy up the area. A lot of the streets look cluttered with all the bins.

“People have raised a number of concerns about the waste policy and they feel the implementation has been poor.

“There have been problems with how the streets look and when you walk down some you just get a stench from the bins and I just don’t think that was considered when the plan was brought in.

“The policy has lead to an increase in recycling levels which is a good thing, but the implementation has not been.

“We have raised these concerns with the council but nothing seems to have changed and it feels like our concerns are not being listened to.”

The group of ten people plan to start door knocking next month and will feed back peoples responses and problems with the bin policy back to Haringey Council.

Changes to bin collection were brought in by Haringey Council earlier this year in an effort to save £900,000 a year and encourage recycling.

A spokeswoman for Haringey Council said every home in the area has received leaflets and letters informing them of changes to rubbish collection and how they can change their current bin to one of a different size.

Whilst I'm all for us taking action to sort stuff out rather than sitting around whining, I am loathe to get involved and give my time for free to this when at the end of the day Veolia are a for profit organisation who are (presumably) making money for their shareholders out of this contract.  If the system isn't working, is it not Veolia's responsibility to invest more cash in it and employ some people to go round doing the door knocking etc.  I don't mind volunteering for not for profit organisations, public sector, charties, social enterprises etc. but I feel a bit queasy about spending my free time pluging gaps in Veolia's service so that they can increase their profit margin.

It's a fair point, Betty. For me, it all boils down to, if I REALLY want something changed, change it. As a result of this conversation, this issue was picked up by the local paper and despite its having a lower readership than HoL, local politicians take notice of it. I've also been contacted by the Haringey cabinet member responsible for waste collection and by another councillor leading a scrutiny enquiry into waste collection. The cabinet member offered support from Veolia/the Council and they're keen to take part as a pilot for improving things elsewhere.

A group of residents met on this project last night in a resident's house on Lausanne. Nothing's yet been achieved, but some waves have been made. People have taken notice and, assuming we follow through some difference might be made. 

Do I feel squeamish about it? Nah, I think we pitch in where we can, if it helps to improve things. Aone off is quite different to making a regular commitment. Then it becomes a different conversation

If nothing else comes of this, at least I'll have met some new neighbours - and that's a bargain I'm happy with.

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