From Brent Council
We are running a recycling trial which will see temporary changes to the way recycling is collected at around 5,000 properties in Brent.
The trial will test the effectiveness of spliting recycling into to two separate bins, one with paper and carboard and one with containers (milk jugs, jars, tins etc.). This is on a small scale, so we can better understand the potential impacts it may have on residents, recycling rates and waste contamination.
The trial takes place over an eight week period between Monday, 3 October and Friday, 25 November as part of a trial of the proposed alternate weekly recycling service that the council recently consulted on.
Properties taking part in the trial have been sent a letter with all of the relevant information. These properties will be given a reusable, weatherproof blue sack to separate their paper and card into. The current blue-lidded recycling bin is to continue to be used for containers like plastic, tins and glass.
The paper and card sack will be collected on an alternate week to the usual recycling bin. For example:
- week 1 – we collect your paper and card sack
- week 2 – we collect your recycling bin.
Why are we carrying out this trial in Brent?
In March 2023, the current waste collections contract that Brent Council operates will come to an end. We are taking this opportunity to review and consider changes to the recycling collections service you receive, and the system being trialled in your area is the Council’s preferred choice of service for the new contract. This is for several reasons:
- Changes to national policy resulting from the Environment Act 2021 will probably require us to make changes to the way we provide recycling services in Brent.
- This trial aims to improve the quality and quantity of recycling from households. From the recent borough-wide Let’s Talk Climate conversation, residents told us they want to do their bit to live more sustainably and help Brent become carbon neutral by 2030. Managing our waste differently will help us to achieve this.
- The new system being tested will help the council to save money while delivering an improved recycling collection system, as we continue to recover financially from the impact of the pandemic, rising prices, a growing population and a reduction in the funding the Council gets from the government.
Residents that have not received a letter from the council about the consultation are not taking part in the trial and will not receive a blue sack.
Please read our FAQ document if you have more questions about the trail.
16 comments:
How stupid. As if the proposals were not already questionable the Labour Council makes a cock up in its publicity:
"The trial will test the effectiveness of splitting recycling into two separate bins....."
What "two separate bins".
There will NOT be "two separate bins" as the paper and cardboard will be required to be placed in a "sack".
Does not anyone at Brent Council check the 'rubbish' their publicity machine puts out? To ensure that Brent residents recycle more requires for any system to be both simple and clear. To confuse people in this way and to suggest that even Brent Council do no know what their new system will involve is an unbelievable own goal.
I agree with Paul, this idea is nonsense.
A few months ago some neighbours had a large consignment of Flat pack furniture which arrive in huge Cardboard Boxes. They duly flattened all these boxes to the absolute minimum, packed them all together in a bundle and tied up with string and left next to the Blue Recycling for collection it could not go in the Bin as that was already full of other recycled materials. On collection day Veolia duly emptied the Blue Bins but left the bundle of cardboard. The resident asked why are you not collecting the cardboard and they said they did not pick up anything that is not in the BIN! Not cardboard of extra black bags. It was eventually collected as Flytipping!
I live in a block of 4 Flats, We have 4 General Waste Bins, which are always filled to the max as they are collected every 2 Weeks. We have 3 Blue Bins for Recycling which are collected weekly. Between the 4 properties we manage to consistently fill at least 2. I have no problem then designating the third Bin for cardboard and paper only.
However, I do have a problem with Sacks!
Will all 4 flats get a sack each?
Where are we supposed to keep them?
Will we be advised to keep them outside next to the Bins?
How will they be secured? By this i mean, what happens when we have adverse weather conditions, rain, snow, high winds? Will they be blown about and then the street covered with cardboard and paper?
Will the Rats and Foxes be able to pull them apart when they smell the remnants of food packaging?
Clearly the person that dreamed up this scheme must be living in a parallell universe, and not the Peoples Republic of Brent.
I agree with Cllr Lorber we need to know what the new system involves.
We had 2 'recycling Centres' on our Estate which were always well-sed, until the Council removed the bins about 18 months ago. Unfortunately they didn't remove the concrete blocks and metal brackets that were there to hold the bins. Now they are just large obstructions which I've seen kids climbing on. I pointed this out to our local Councillor..seen frequently before the local election but not at all since then. Nothing gets done. There are also two places on the estate where people dump rubbish regularly. One spot is up against the sign that reads" The dumping of rubbish is prohibited', the other is right by the entrance to the estate where Ive seen people drive in...dump stuff, and quickly drive off. The mentality is ...if its a 'Council Estate' its fair game, and the Council will remove it...
Most of the council officers making these decisions don't live in Brent and few of them leave the civic centre - I went for a walk earlier and there was dumped rubbish and litter everywhere - how much worse will this het under these silly plans?
Which ward is this?
We've had the same experience; after purchasing some items we had excess cardboard that was not collected as it was not in the bins. Large cardboard pieces will not fit in bags and will end up getting wet in the weather and make a mess. If there were facilities where things could be disposed of easily with no charge it would lead to a reduction in fly tipping - this is probably where Brent should concentrate efforts on.
Had first blue bag collection today. The paper and card were put into the truck together WITH the food waste.
What is going to happen to this mess of food and paper?
I have asked the Council to comment on this via Twitter.
We have tried to adhere to the trial but found it impossible as we are a family that has to order a lot of items online as we are still isolating. The cardboard boxes do not fit in the sack and we have no room in the house to keep storing them. Ended up getting a friend to drop them off at Sainsbury’s recycling! This is not viable long term. It’s a stupid idea that just hasn’t been thought through properly. If we had been consulted we would would have objected with reasons.
Brent Council stop wasting our time, money and energy!!!! Life is stressful enough.
Lots have been said already so I will keep it short. Putting cardboard from food items inside the bag attracted rats. Can't leave the bag outside as the wind blows it away. Can't keep it inside as it's wet and had rats inside. Waste of time and resources which can be used elsewhere in brent.
The blue trail bags are blown away in the wind. And gets water logged when it rains. Absolutely useless idea. Don't mind helping with recycling cardboard but not well thought out.
Edited comment:
Brent Council has no idea what they are doing and how to use the resources correctly. The people of Brent are being let down badly, where money can be used wisely.
The blue bag idea needs to be scrapped asap. The blue lid bin is ideal for all that type of rubbish and the Council should be the ones sorting out the rubbish not the paying public, I have paid for a service, I did not pay for additional work to be done can be done at a sorting plant.
Brent needs to wake up and do the right thing and fire the people that introduced this pathetic scheme.
Use our money wisely and discuss with us before jumping the gun like you have with this idiotic scheme.
Brent Councils ideas and what is required are blind sided. You need to sort out the roads, you need to have correct lighting at Zebra crossing as they are totally dark and someone will get killed, the way Ealing Council has illuminated the crossings why has Brent Council failed at this?. Even the street lighting has diminished and looks always dark even though you using LED lights why is this?
Other Councils in parts are doing a brilliant job so why cant Brent Council learn and adapt these but are fast to pull a blue bag scheme to annoy us with outrages recycling tasks. Wonder if this scheme is happening in Harlesden?
That the idea behind this nonsense scheme which has more problems associated with it, as commented by on here and social media outlets.
Absolutely agree with you bent council need a shake up, wake up and change the wrong people in it.
Rubbish idea. Not weather proofed and have foxes on street already due to people fly tipping on side of roads and alley ways Deal with that first.
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