Forum Topic

Refuse/recycling collections suspended

https://www.facebook.com/ealingrecycling/posts/2048286738519514Due to the severe weather there will be no scheduled rubbish and recycling collections this morning. Ealing council will provide updates on Facebook and Twitter.Surely they could do what some councils are doing and send a gritting vehicle ahead of the refuse/recycling vehicles?

James Vertigan ● 3164d17 Comments

Hounslow are managing. This is pathetic.

Susan Kelly ● 3164d

Their advice is to put your bins out tonight even though they have no idea if they'll come or not. Surely they'd have made a decision by end of play today and if not talk about disorganised.

Tania Bapuji ● 3164d

The roads should have been gritted, there was enough warning of severe weather.

Jean F Fernandez ● 3164d

I’m pretty sure it’s not the roads, much more likely the safety of those on the pavements and at the road edges. There’s piles of ice and snow in the gutter covering who knows what. It’s treacherous enough just walking down our road with out a wheelie bin as well. I’d rather have the service suspended than injuries amongst those just doing their job.

David Scott ● 3163d

Hear hear. David. Driving large vehicles down slippery side roads, often with cars parked too near the corners is bound to result in damage.

Kim Rugg ● 3163d

For the first time this year I have seen a gritting lorry pass my house. The council have a duty to keep the roads clear of snow. First the main roads and then the side roadsThe point is that I travelled through Chiswick yesteday and the roads were clear of snow not like Ealing the bin men were out collecting rubbish. Is it a case of no money so we won't send the gritters out.

Nicolas Ozegovic ● 3162d

Here is how the council portrays itPublished Thursday 1 March 2018Ealing Council is working to ensure that disruption to services is minimised during the ongoing severe weather.With further snowfall and freezing temperatures forecast to continue, disruption is likely to continue for a few days.  As normal, the council’s winter maintenance gritting plan is in place to reduce risk to residents and to keep roads open during times of snow and freezing conditions.The council currently has up to 60 officers working and five gritters in operation to service roads and footways across the borough. Since yesterday roughly 800km of Ealing’s roads has been serviced with more than 500 tonnes of grit, including some roads multiple times. The council has a stock of 3,500 tonnes at Greenford Depot.Due to snow and icy conditions on local roads, waste and recycling collections in the borough are currently suspended. The council is monitoring the situation and working with the contractor to ensure that they are resumed as soon as it becomes safe to do so. Disruption is expected over the next few days until weather conditions return to normal.  Extra resources will be diverted to ensure the swiftest possible clean-up takes place once collections resume.Residents are asked to do what they can to manage household waste and save space whilst collections are suspended. This can be done by flattening cardboard boxes and squashing plastic bottles and drinks cartons so they take up less space in recycling bins.Street cleaners have been diverted to help the council’s highways service with the gritting of priority areas.Updates are available via twitter and facebook and residents should check the council’s website for updates about when to leave their bins out for collection.Commercial collections are taking place from town centres and smaller shopping parades, with Litterbins and fly-tips also being collected from these locations.There are currently 63 schools in the borough closed due to the weather conditions. Other schools are closing early to allow staff and students to get home. Schools are responsible for alerting parents and making arrangements locally for any change to school hours.Day care facilities in the borough are closed and staff are visiting vulnerable people in their own homes over this period. Acton and Greenford libraries are also shut.People are asked to take care if visiting parks in the borough as paths may be icy and slippery. Where possible, please check on vulnerable friends or neighbours and offer help if it’s needed, maybe by clearing snow from footpaths.The council’s winter maintenance gritting plan is in place to reduce risk to residents and to keep roads open during times of snow and freezing conditions.

Paul Webster ● 3162d

Council statement from earlier today (Friday)General household collection services will remain suspended for today (Friday 2 March).  However, waste and recycling is being collected as scheduled from flats above shops where gritting has taken place and from homes along red routes.If your waste and recycling was not collected as scheduled this week on Wednesday 28 February, Thursday 1 March or today please leave your black bins out this weekend at the edge of your property, as every effort will be made to clear the backlog where it is safe to do so.  Food waste and recycling will be collected early next week (Monday and Tuesday).  At this stage we do not expect next week’s scheduled collections to be impacted.We apologise for the inconvenience of the last few days and thank all residents affected for their patience and understanding.Other work that is ongoing includes:Gritting of all primary and secondary routes took place yesterday evening, finishing after midnight.  From 9.30am this morning work will begin to re-grit all primary and secondary routes, to avoid rush hour traffic.Gritting continues on primary footways and street cleaning are supporting gritting activityCommercial waste is being collected as normal from town centres and secondary shopping areas where gritting has taken place.Litter bins are being emptied and flytipping removed from town centres and secondary shopping areasHousehold waste recycling centres are open.Community centres are open as normal. Two libraries (Acton & Greenford) and day care facilities in the borough remain closed and will look to reopen on Monday. Currently, 70 schools have notified the council that they will be closed today.  Parents and carers are advised to contact their child’s school for an update.

Paul Webster ● 3162d

Anyone else had their food waste collection missed this week? Mine was supposed to be collected yesterday but is still there today - no collection last seen either of course because of the snow.

James Vertigan ● 3156d

I have been tweeting Ealing Council about this. Man emptying my black bin this morning refused to take excess food waste - said to leave it on window will. Who will clear it up after cats and foxes have done their worst? Blue bin cluttering up front path all week. It's a minor matter - but we do pay for this service and the Council website says food waste will be picked up today as usual (not yet..) and blue bin will be collected during this week (ditto)

Clare Gittins ● 3156d

My green box not collected today either. Blue recycling bin emptied today finally, thrown in the refuse truck along with the rubbish from the black bin.  At least they're emptied but slightly annoying that none of what I've cleaned out for recycling is actually going to be recycled. 

Tania Bapuji ● 3156d

Our street is lined with overflowing blue bins from last week it’s a mess. Any way of finding out when they plan to collect? Last update I seen said Monday or Tuesday...

Laura Gilroy ● 3155d

Yes, our pavents here are cluttered with overflowing recycling bins, too, and there are milk bottles, drink cans etc. getting blown around all over the the place.While Ealing Council is failing to keep the residents updated properly, and the contractor is far too slow to catch up - after all, there were only three days last week when collections were not possible - the residents are also to blame. There is no need to place the bins on the pavements, and most of them would not overflow if people flattened their recycling - it only takes a few seconds. Sticking bulky milk bottles and cardboard boxes into the bins is plain stupid and shows how lazy, selfish and irresponsible many residents are.

Urs Esser ● 3155d

Info is available on their phone line when you call them.Bins are on the pavement in our street as there no storage outfront in half the properties. Not all residents are able to use wheelie bins so many are still on the old green boxes. Overflow is preventing moving them back. Streetsweepers have been down to tidy. They will catch up eventually, the bin men aren't superhuman. I'm shocked at the lack of respect that people have for these people just doing their job.

David Scott ● 3155d

I think we all have loads of respect for the bin men. I certainly do. But I have no respect for incorrect/inaccurate information from Ealing Council.

Clare Gittins ● 3154d

Who's in charge?  It shouldn't be difficult to explain the plan for when this happens to residents.  They may not like it but...  and if their residents aren't playing their part and making an effort to reduce their residual waste then they are more likely to have a problem.  You would have thought that for a recycling collection that the Christmas extra recycling arrangements would kick in.

Philippa Bond ● 3152d

I agree, Philippa. I also think the Streetwatchers could have been a useful point of communication for letting the Council know where bins hadn't been collected as advertised.Bassam Mahfouz was very helpful over the weekend and managed to get our blue bins and food recycling emptied by the end of Saturday.

Clare Gittins ● 3152d