Forum Topic

Recycling - article in today's Guardian

There's an article in today's Guardian about recycling collections being swamped by a) everyone being at home and producing more waste and b) householders using lockdown time to do a bit of a Marie Kondo and declutter their homes. Apparently, some local centres are suspending recycling collections which could lead to a national cardboard shortage. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/31/uk-faces-cardboard-shortage-due-to-coronavirus-crisisCould anyone connected to Hounslow's recycling service give an indication whether this is an issue and if we're likely to experience a suspension? At the same time, a heartfelt thank you to the operatives on the vans who have been taking care of our collections. You're doing a great job at a very difficult time.

Tracie Dudley Craig ● 1961d10 Comments

The regular collection service crews have been superb, but maybe it's time to bring in emergency free  garden waste service and increase the bulky waste collections.As we move into summer composting in small spaces with kids playing and other waste accumulating will bring fire risks and other health and safety risks. Wasps nests, ticks and horseflies along with other nasties that you won't be able to go to A&E with for a very long time.Spors from diseased vegetation and unpruned trees can cause a lot of problems and bonfires are probably a no no.So I hope this is being thought about by LBH who are doing things in general a lot better than in neighbouring Ealing. So well done but think a bit deeper.

Raymond Havelock ● 1955d

"Around the country, residents have been leaving gifts and messages on their wheelie bins to support the key workers collecting their rubbish each week.Refuse collectors in Hounslow, west London, were even treated to a bottle of champagne on their round, along with dozens of morale-boosting notes."https://gu.com/p/dt98n/stw

Guy Lambert ● 1956d

Full praise to our dus tmen and recycling crews and noticed on Wednesday seems difficult for them to keep separate at times. WELl DONE lads

Jean Harrison ● 1956d

Thank you, Guy, for this information. Good to know.

Tracie Dudley Craig ● 1960d

So pleased the crews picked up the garden waste and recycling boxes today.  I put a big note of thanks on our bin and boxes last week, and did the same in that dreadful heat they were working in last summer.  Offered ice cold bottles of water too, which they took!  The men digging up the street got ice creams.  All very happy.We seem to have a huge amount of card from deliveries....

Sarah Felstead ● 1960d

As of my latest information the Recycle360 waste crews are continuing to provide a full service despite a very marked increase in waste - it's said to be like the post-Christmas period when they are always under strain. And of course we now have some staff, thankfully not many, self-isolating. We are asking people to minimise waste of any sort and to recycle whatever they can. If you do a Marie Kondo, great, but the 'bring' waste sites like Space Waye and Townmead Road are all closed to residential users so please where possible (IE it's not going to putrefy) store what you want to throw away rather than trying to cram it all in a bin. Many people don't know that small electricals and textiles can be bagged and sealed separately and left with the recycling:https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/info/20128/Continued service will depend on keeping more or less full crews, and we have some contingencies in place to try and cover for any absences.Nevertheless it's possible that services may become restricted if pressure builds further. The waste crews are part of that great wedge of often little appreciated workers who we realise we rely on when times get tough. One road in Hounslow turned out to clap their waste crew last week. Other roads doing the same across the borough would be very fitting and much appreciated.

Guy Lambert ● 1960d

Ahem - excuse me, chaps... we all have opinions regarding the handling of the current crisis (I probably have more than most) but this is NOT the thread for them. Can we keep on topic here? I adore a good, blood pressure-raising rant, but every thread doesn't have to be hijacked by party politics. This is a very simple post asking a very simple question. If you know the answer, spill. If you don't, start another thread for a shout of your choosing. OK?

Tracie Dudley Craig ● 1960d

Not sure why this old chestnut has been dragged up yet again - nothing and no-one could have kept this virus from this country. Either way it doesn't mean that the government are free from some criticism as to the way they have handled things. Everyone is having to play this by ear, priority is safety equipment and testing for NHS staff.

Vanessa Smith ● 1961d

And how do you think we would be faring under Jezza (Corbyn not Clarkson) who undoubtedly was pre-Brexit and even his biggest fans would surely agree could not have kept the coronavirus from the shores of this country?

Philip Coe ● 1961d

This will go well with the possible power blackouts. Are other countries having these problems. Our pound is going down against the Euro although we were told it was a weak currency. We cannot protect our frontline workers. Good news though Brexit is still on track, as we lurch from one crisis to another.

Nicholas Beard ● 1961d