Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Bi-Weekly bin collections coming to Harringay
With bi weekly rubbish collections coming our way this summer, Liberal Democrat politicians in parts of the borough where it's already operating have been making it known that they strongly oppose fortnightly waste collections and have called for an urgent review of the changes to the service.
But the Labour-led council says it has no plans to review the bin collections and claim that most people in the borough have responded positively to the changes.
The move, which is expected to save the council £900,000 per year, aims to encourage more people to recycle. Garden and food waste is still collected weekly.
The changes, which include replacing small green recycling boxes with large wheelie bins, were introduced to the west of the borough at the beginning of March.
Tags for Forum Posts: fortnightly waste collections, new recycling bins, rubbish, veolia, waste collection
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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I realise Neville, that as a LibDem candidate you are required to oppose whatever the Labour leadership are doing; and call for things to be halted or reversed. Fortunately I don't have to play these party political games.
Anyway, how come yesterday you were praising Islington where "recycling . . . is light years ahead of Haringey." while now you want Haringey to halt or reverse its scheme to increase recycling rates? As I keep saying, what's needed is to make the scheme work properly through honest evaluation and learning from the process as it happens. Yes, possibly with some tweaking or even slowing to make sure it does work properly.
I realise that, with its injelitant culture, Haringey is not best placed to learn from such experience. And the usual "narrative" (i.e spin) for both parties is to explain why they are (and were) right; and why the other lot were (and are) wrong. Frustrating I know, but you and I could behave like intelligent grown-up adults and try.
I invited you to give me some addresses and contacts. I'm now recharging my camera batteries in readiness.
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P.S. There isn't any "chamber" where decisions are made. (Unless perhaps it's Claire Kober's office.) Council meetings are bad theatre with poor scripts and worse actors.
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Permalink Reply by Tom Hamshere on
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Jaywalking is illegal and people get fined for it. This is why they pay more attention.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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and of course you run the risk of getting squished by a bus which worries me more than a fine!
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Permalink Reply by HoL Site Admin on
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We have been asked to post the following message on behalf of Nilgun Canver, Haringey Cabinet Member for the Environment since she is currently in transit abroad on an urgent family matter:
Dear All,
Thank you very much for all your comments. They are extremely helpful. We have just embarked on the second phase of the roll out.
I can assure you that we are aware of the challenges and never thought that this would be an easy task. However, I am very encouraged that vast majority of our residents and experts and their organisations including sustainable Haringey and Friends of the Earth do agree the underlying principles of introducing 240 litre recycling bins to improve recycling capacity, free collection of mattresses and all other bulky items that are reusable or recyclable and supply of biodegradable bags for six months for food recycling. Pls let me make it very clear, all recyclables including dry, food and garden waste will continue to be collected every week. Only non-recyclable general rubbish will be collected every other week. The changes will only apply to residential street properties. Estates and flats above shops are excluded.
We'll move into the new system in second phase in mid June.Our recycling rate has been around 27per cent for a while. Our residents repeatedly told us that they wanted to see increased recycling in the borough. We had to try new ways of increasing recycling and reducing carbon footprint. Our target is to increase recycling by 40per cent by 2015 and reduce carbon emissions by 40per cent by 2020. Also many of you will be aware that landfill is extremely expensive and the cost is increasing every year. Our approach aims to save tax payers money around 900K a year. I hope you will all agree with me that we all have a responsibility to leave a better future for our children.
There are challenges but let's work all together to make this a success story.
In other boroughs where similar services have been introduced this has worked and in Kingston their rate has gone up above 40per cent in 3 years. All this info is available on the council website.
Yes, Michael and others are correct that the biggest challenge is engagement with people who live in houses in multiple occupation and the transient nature of parts of the borough. We all agree on that. However, I can assure you we have a plan and we need your help too. Officers and Veolia have already done an audit of the borough and they are now engaging with critical premises where there is little or no recycling. They have a long list of properties to carry out in-depth engagement. They are in the process of liaising and educating residents in problem properties, landlords, estate agents and making presentations to key residents associations in phase 2 areas. There has been a stall at the Area Forum and in our area on 10 May officers and Veolia will make a presentation at 7.30pm at the Ladder Com. Safety Partnership meeting and 8.30pm at the Gardens Resident's Association AGM. I've already spoken to residents at the Woodlands Park Residents Association. Please attend the above meetings if you can to raise your questions or share your views. If you can't attend any of the above meetings watch out for the letter that will be delivered to your home in the week beginning 7 May.
As I've mentioned above I need your help too. Please do me a favour and e-mail Emma Davies (emma.davies@haringey.gov uk) and send her door numbers of properties on your road that officers need to do further engagement with. They will add those to the list they are currently building for engagement purposes.
After the implementation of Phase 1 many residents told us how little they put in their general rubbish bin now. Yes, there are challenges in some locations but we're working with residents and Veolia to find workable solutions. We have been applying phase 1 learning on operational matters to phase 2 and with your help we aim to have a smooth roll out in phase 2.
Please work with us to educate your/our neighbours. In most cases when prompted people are happy to comply. The changes require ongoing engagement for behaviour change.
In some cases this might get a little longer but with your help I'm sure we'll get there. Where there are landlords involved if need be, we will not shy away using our enforcement powers.
In addition to the letter that you will be receiving, you will get a detailed booklet with the bins when they are delivered starting from mid May.
Thank you again for your comments.
Let's work together to recycle more!
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Walking home a couple of days ago, I met a team of three Haringey staff from the consultation team, knocking on Harringay doors to raise awareness and deal with queries on this issue.
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Permalink Reply by Lucy Fielding on
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I'm a newbie and felt moved to join this forum because I have only just found out today through a leaflet that we are going to have fortnightly bin collections. We were never consulted about this and most people in my area didn't have a clue that this was going to happen so I don't know how the council can say that most people have responded positively. It really irks me that the council are disguising this cost cutting exercise as a green issue. Most people I know already recycle and care about the environment - and I can't see how fortnightly rubbish collections are going to hep the environment! There is still going to be the same amount of rubbish only now it will be piled up in plastic wheelie bins outside people's houses rather than being disposed of safely. It's just cutting a basic service that we already pay for. I'm pretty sure not having enormous plastic wheelie bins forced upon us, which must produce vast amounts of CO2 to make, would be a better step to reduce our carbon footprint.
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Lucy, we've been tracking this story since 2010, from a national issue down to it's local implementation. If you click on the "fortnightly waste collections" tag beneath the original post above, you can see its genesis.
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Thanks Hugh. Interesting reading.
I was aware that fortnightly collections have happened in other parts of the country and have yet to see any evidence that it improves the environment or reduces our carbon footprint. I care very much about the environment and the planet we live in. My two main issues are:
a) This is being forced upon people - there has been no consultation or discussion about the best way to implement this or how people are meant to cope if they don't have space to have all these wheelie bins. Apparantly an inspector will tell you if you have space - residents are not deemed responsible enough to decide this for themselves!
b) The amount of plastic wheelie bins that are being produced will be cancelling out any possible reductions in CO2 from recycling waste. That's if there are any reductions of CO2! As well as this they have a negative impact on the environment and people as they take up space in the garden which could be used to grow plants and let's face it who takes pleasure in seeing rows of smelly grey wheelie bins? The bins themselves will be adding to landfill.
Yes, we need to take more care of our planet and use our resources wisely but fortnightly bin collections seems to me to be more of a cost cutting exercise enforced upon us with no consultation, rather than a genuine attempt to reduce our carbon footprint.
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Permalink Reply by Bob Ruggles on
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We are told it a cost issue - yet a fortune is spent on New Bins
That the Majority of the borough can not accommadate
I still wait to see figures that Show that recycling within Haringey
Is Cost effective --
As sure it like many Green issues it is wasting the Borough a Fortune
Against just burning rubbish and Generating Electricity
And Saving Importing the Fuel -
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Hi Bob, I think burning rubbish is a problem because it generates Carbon Dioxide which contributes to global warming. However, yes I agree the manufacturing, purchasing and delivering of all these bins is going to cost a fortune and produce CO2. A basic service is being cut in half yet our council tax money is being spent on purchasing these bins that many of us don't need. How is that a saving? I suspect we will also be charged an administration fee for the delivering of these bins - although ownership will be retained by the council. (This is what has happened in other areas in the UK).
Something is definitely not right here. Huge wheelie bins (which are no friend to the environment) are being purchased and being forced on to us when we don't need them. So how does this save money or the environment? You'd think they'd be happy if someone said we only need a small bin or just a couple of recycling sacks. There seems to be no explanation from the council as to why they are doing this.
The council's leaflet claims that the majority of people want to recycle and care about the environment so why is it when someone asks for a smaller bin or recycling sacks because they don't need a huge bin and want to minimise the bins impact on the environment are they being treated as if they are dishonest or disruptive and trying to get out of recycling? They can't have it both ways.
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