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New Flats Recycling from Monday 16th November

At last!  Let's hope this will be successful for everybody.Here is the Council Press Release:"Countdown to new flats recycling service (PR 52)Ealing Council is rolling out a new recycling service to thousands of residents from Monday, 16 November.Residents living in properties of 13-24 flats, flats above shops and properties on red routes will be able to recycle paper, cardboard, glass, cans and plastic bottles through the weekly household collection service as part of the council’s new clear sack mixed recycling service. This follows a successful trial the council has been running with 1,000 households since 2007.An additional 7,500 households will receive their roll of clear sacks by the end of the week. Fresh rolls of sacks will be delivered on a quarterly basis.The council is also launching a borough-wide extension of the existing communal recycling service for residents in larger blocks of 25 or more flats. Large communal recycling bins are provided for 16,000 properties already but, by working with the managing agents, from 16 November the council will begin to introduce communal recycling bins for paper, cans and glass for up to a further 5,000 properties.The changes mean that all Ealing residents should soon have access to a recycling service offered by the council.Every communal recycling household will receive a re-usable bag over the next few months to make it easier to carry their items to the new bins.Councillor Sue Emment, Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Services, said:  “Our recycling rates have rocketed over the last two years since our £3.8million investment into same day refuse and recycling collections. This latest investment means thousands more residents will find it easier to recycle and I hope we will see Ealing’s recycling rates continue to soar.“We have put in a lot of hard work to make sure the service runs as smoothly as possible but as with the introduction of any new service, I would ask people to be patient at first.”Residents set to receive the clear sack service have been sent information confirming their refuse and recycling collection day. If you have not received your clear sacks by Saturday, 14 November please call Customer Services on 020 8825 6000.The council is making a £256,000 one-off investment to set up the extended service and will continue to spend £327,000 every year to run the collections. It is expected to save more than 1,500 tonnes of rubbish from landfill each year.From Monday, 7 December, residents who have a green box collection service can add Tetrapak style cartons to their recycling. For more information on recycling services visit www.ealing.gov.uk/recycling"

Philippa Bond ● 6150d8 Comments

So pleased.  I currently take a shopping trolley full of stuff down to Stirling Road once a week, but this will be easier!The rules look a bit odd though.  Plastic bottles but not plastic cartons.  If it's 'soft plastic OK, hard plastic not OK' what about the bottle tops?

Gill Hothersall ● 6150d

Whether they want or don't want the plastic bottle tops I wouldn't know but what I can tell you is that generally they want them off the bottles so that the bottles can be baled easily.  Flattening plastic bottles yourself though obviously makes a lot more space and the milk ones are so easily flattened.

Philippa Bond ● 6149d

As a really, really rough guide: look at the triangular recycling symbol on plastic. Inside it is a number. If that number is 6 or 7, then bin the item. If it is lower, put it with the plastic recycling. If there is too much polystyrene (6) in your recycling, it will all be incinerated, because it is not worth sorting it out. What the recyclers are really after is the plastic bottles.

John Theodore Clark ● 6149d

Agree with you John but think we should clarify the  polystyrene. There is more than one type and what many think of as just polystyrene is expanded polystyrene (EPS) which we are beginning to see less of.  Polystyrene (PS)or (6)is often used for yoghurt pots.

Philippa Bond ● 6148d

Thanks John, that's helpful.Well, the system hasn't worked so far.  No-one told our management company about the system (they are based in Richmond so didn't get the letter).  So the cleaner moved all the bags to the bin area, where of course they sat uncollected.I have tried to get the council to collect them, but some 'helpful' resident keeps moving them away from where they should be!The management company are now meeting with the council to agree somewhere for the bags to be collected from.  So here's hoping.

Gill Hothersall ● 6140d

Good Luck!  It can take time and effort to get a system up and running smoothly for everyone.  I think (hope) I've just cracked the work collection but that has taken weeks.

Philippa Bond ● 6138d

How is it going?

Philippa Bond ● 4435d

http://www.ealing.gov.uk/news/article/580/flats_recycling_service_to_be_expandedhttp://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/200970/recycling_services/291/flats_and_red_route_recyclingThey've expanded what can be recycled in the clear sacks from when I last investigated.  It used to be just plastic bottles.

Philippa Bond ● 4435d