Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Veolia continued
I had a window open and registered that the bin wasn't being moved and went out and was able to stop one of the workers to challenge him. He very kindly came back and we looked in our recycling.
What I learned is that Veolia won't collect your bin if it contains polystyrene, even if it has a big triangular stamp showing it is recyclable and how. Plant pots, also with a recycling stamp, are the 'wrong sort of plastic'.
So our bin got a ticket. The Veolia worker explained that if it happens again, I will be spoken to. And should it happen a third time Veolia will issue a fine.
So, Veolia don't do what they are supposed to (take recycling) and have the power to impose a fine on citizens trying to recycle.
I don't recall be consulted about this, I have not received any information from the council advertising it. And who on earth thinks it is a good idea to give Veolia power to levy fines, when it struggles to perform its basic function. A win-win situation for Veolia.
Islington Council has moved waste and cleaning back in-house. Camden and other councils have sacked Veolia. If anyone from Haringey Council is reading: please can we end the contract with Veolia? Or can we have an explanation of why a consistently bad service is thought to be acceptable to Haringey citizens?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Isabelle on
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I am shocked! Really.
So this 'fine' business is forced into our homes too now? Another silent tax? Do policies of punishment help creating more caring communities?
Frankly, does this mean that I am responsible for the old lady next door who decides to dump her polystyrene into my recycling bin? Anyone can dump anything they want in our bins... What about the other flats in the house, should we start arguing about who has done what?
I guess Veolia will also be fined when not doing their job properly and on schedule then?
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Permalink Reply by Angela on
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Westminster used to do this years ago. They would look through your rubbish until they found a name and address and then write to you. A second 'offence' would incur a fine.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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I think that maybe a more common sense approach could be adopted. I guess that some of us will have seen recycling bins being used as just an extra rubbish bin. In those cases I think it's right that action should be taken (talk to the householder and if that doesn't stop it consider more punitive action). But where someone has genuinely put something in they thought was recyclable like polystyrene, put it in the right bin and drop a friendly note to explain why it can't be recycled at the moment.
On the other point of world pre-contracting out, I recall the bin collections being good but the street sweeping and street rubbish being awful. You would literally wade through rubbish on Warham Road and Green Lanes back in the 80's.
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You are right about the street sweeping. I remember having visitors from abroad and walking up Wood Green High Road my friend asked me whether the bins were emptied on to the street....
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Permalink Reply by Gerry Platt on
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On a positive note; Green bins are an improvement on the days when I used to cycle across the park to dispose of paper & glass (& nothing else) and another destination for tetra-packs.
I now take the approach of: if in doubt: re-cycle, so some plastics that I put in the green bin will not be recyclable, these should act as feedback data to the larger system. For example; if a certain ( non-recyclable) plastic is appearing regularly the industry can advise the producers or retailers.
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Permalink Reply by Madeline on
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So that's why they always peek into the bins before they take them. But it wouldn't stop the unscrupulous from placing non-recyclable stuff at the bottom under the top layer. And as already mentioned here (and by me in another thread) what about other people using your bin? Does that mean that now I could be fined because somebody else has dumped their rubbish in my bin?
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Veolia is a second rate operation, that as Connex, took two train franchises, and was thrown off one South-East, and were relieved of their other franchise, South Central before the normal contracted date.
Veolia should never have been given this contract, the service has sharply deteriorated, and Haringey's Councillors and Staff should be forced to explain their decision.
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Bit confused by your post Billy, I know the Council's shenanigans are bizarre, but appointing Veolia was a recipe for TROUBLE!
I assume by Haringey Enterprise, that was the in-house contractor which lost the contract in April 2012, but they appeared every week to clear both types of waste. Depends on each individual team.
However with the ongoing row over the North London Waste Plan, this problem will not go away. But Veolia must not get any of the contracts. Basically they are a crap company, which has failed to operate trains or buses satisfactorily, and they can't even manage rubbish and re-cycling.
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Permalink Reply by Christopher Fowler on
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We can't refuse to get National Express coaches, because they are a monopoly supplier on their routes. As for Veolia, as a general rule it would be better all round if council services were in-house, and properly accountable, not allowing private companies to rake off huge profits.
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I was told, unofficially, that what Veolia are doing is taking their work force around and giving them H&S assessments showing them how to wheel a wheelie bin etc. (I've actually seen them doing this!) Then they send them out to work and at the slightest deviation from their work remit they are 'let go'. This is so that Veolia don't have to pay holiday money, pension fees and any other work related monies that they are responsible for. In practice they have a transient workforce with no or little incentive to stay with Veolia for a career and long term future to to rely on. So no matter how good they are at their job, Veolia will find a way to 'lose' them and we will permanently have new trainees emptying our bins. Like I said, this is unofficial but it did come from a Haringey worker.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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I accept, Madeline, that you've seen individual examples of (new?) staff being trained. However this, in itself, is surely a positive practice.
As you'll appreciate it isn't the same as what you're suggesting: a widespread pattern of using a constantly and deliberately changing pool of new trainees to deliver the work.
Is there any evidence you know of which supports this suggestion? Or anyone you know who is willing to speak to me, or perhaps another councillor, off-the-record?
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
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As you say, it's just hearsay. But the woman who told me was convinced it was true but I have no idea where she got her information from.
All I can say is that I don't recognise my dustmen any more, none of the three different crews that collect here so it makes me wonder.
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