Forum Topic

Recycling...again

Here is a copy of an e-mail I've just sent to the council. I cannot describe, without the use of extreme profanities, how thoroughly peed off I am with this council regarding this service.After approx. 3 years of my wife complaining about the fact that this borough seems utterly incapable of emptying our recycling box we have now been introduced to the joy of the box being emptied but then returned to God only knows who. Can you please tell me when, oh when, will you get your service in order? I am fed up to the 9th of being told by the government, council and various tree huggers, recycle, environment, recycle and the council doing sweet fa about it. Pick up the box. Empty it. Return it (preferably to a position where the resident won't break their neck entering their home after). How difficult is it? £1400 a year and it's the same old rubbish. LITERALLY! Desperately asking for help P.S. Please do not send a van or a van with a new box. Please, sort your blo*dy service out. I cannot express how very fed up I am with the service provided

Claire Peleschka ● 6412d49 Comments

"They make a mess of the waste collection & recycling service" Who is the officer in charge of the mess? Is it Suresh Kamath Director of Street Management who took home £128,871 last year? Is he the officer the ICG inherited from Labour Days?

Steve Taylor ● 5602d

ClaireI did read the whole post but I was specificcally replying to this:"This week though, the bag, full of previous weeks' contents, was placed in front of my next door neighbour's house and sure enough it was emptied in full!Is the fact that my next door neighbour a prospective Labour councillor....."v

Steve Taylor ● 5602d

There has also been discussion recently of banning various recyclates from landfill.  Building waste is what I've seen dumped the most. Tradesmen need to be licensed waste carriers to take the waste they make away with them and dispose of it properly and this registration can be checked online. I reckon too often they seem to take it out of the house and forget it on the pavement.It is no fun getting used to the fact that there is no waste fairy and we need to consider this when we buy things or have work done.Quite a few London boroughs now have compulsory recycling. We are have to learn to be more responsible as waste producers - and the easy answer is to make less.

Philippa Bond ● 5602d

Vanessa,That's the ICG for you!  They make a mess of the waste collection & recycling service, they cut front line services like schools, but if you put forward a legitimate complaint they have a go at you  :-(

Sharon Smith ● 5602d

Just a typical attempt at deflecting criticism of your poor service delivery, to accuse residents of complaining. What was not a feature of life under a Labour council was the fly tipping that we have now, thanks to the misguided thinking of you and your Tory pals. Services have to be paid for, if you don't pay through the Council Tax then you have to pay separately if you want it, either way it costs residents. You don't seem to mind throwing money at the senior officers of Hounslow Council with their obscene salaries, pity the ordinary frontline staff's work wasn't considered worthy enough to protect their jobs, and our services too.

Vanessa Smith ● 5602d

You must be the most unluckiest resident in the whole of Hounslow Vanessa as you seem to have a complaint about every single service!Do you honestly believe it was so much better in the old days when the easy solution was simply to stick the Council Tax up year on year and throw money to any Dept that demanded it?

Paul Fisher ● 5602d

A few times recently one part of the recycling has been left till the following day (didn't pay attention, can't be bothered!  but it was certainly the green box one time).The rubbish strewn along the road seems a lot better.  Our crews are a cheery lot and our guy smiles and says hello so if I was outside and saw recycling rubbish being dropped I could speak to them.

Sarah Felstead ● 5602d

Steve - read the whole post mate

Claire Peleschka ● 5602d

You are not alone, our recycling is often left, the other week the first lot of recyclers managed to empty the blue bag full of papers out all over the path. We often have to go on a hunt for our bags and bins, and if they are returned they are slung all over the place. It's a miracle the poor postie doesn't break his neck delivering after these hooligans have visited.There is nearly always a trail of rubbish after the recyclers have been, I don't necessarily blame the blokes who do the job given the pittance they are paid, I do blame the numpties who oversaw the contract who obviously had never heard that when you buy cheap you buy twice.

Vanessa Smith ● 5602d

"At least I know exactly where to put my recycling to ensure it's collected"So what you are saying is that you have to put your blue bag in front of rubbish to ensure its collected! Good one!

Steve Taylor ● 5603d

I have discovered a new way to guarantee my recycling is collected. For 3 weeks in a row my blue bag was not emptied. Despite putting the same paper, packaging type paper in it since the bags were distributed, for some reason 4 weeks ago the contents caused offence and the bag ignored since.This week though, the bag, full of previous weeks' contents, was placed in front of my next door neighbour's house and sure enough it was emptied in full!Is the fact that my next door neighbour a prospective Labour councillor for Syon ward anything to do with this I wonder? Hmmmm. At least I know exactly where to put my recycling to ensure it's collected...at least until May 7th anyway.

Claire Peleschka ● 5603d

A chap appeared early on this morning and moved all the boxes out from driveways, into little groups on the pavement.  Many of the boxes were tucked away beside walls giving some shelter from the wind - out on the pavement all manner of stuff is blowing out of them  :-(

Sarah Felstead ● 6259d

The front garden of a house in Lateward Road. Don't some residents have happy lives? !!

Jim Lawes ● 6399d

I agree totally.

Claire Peleschka ● 6404d

No problem Claire and I am sure all will turn out ok as Matt is a fine Ward Cllr even if he is a member on the other side! Only joking Matt ;-)

Paul Fisher ● 6404d

Paulthank you for your suggestion. I have e-mailed the council with my observations of yesterday but I will also contact Matt.

Claire Peleschka ● 6404d

I must live in one of the streets where there's nothing wrong with 'The Green Men' then!!  I've never seen them lobbing boxes around, and they always replace them on the correct pathway.  Having been made redundant recently I'm at home when they come round, and since reading this thread, have started watching them!  THey're very careful with the boxes, and actually pick things up from the floor if they drop them!  Yesterday our downstairs neighbour put out some very large (flattened) boxes that wouldn't fit in the box (they just placed them by the side)...The Green men took every single thing that was placed outside, including two very large black bags full of clothes!I'm sorry some people seem to have a problem with The Green Men, but I think they do a great job (I wouldn't do it) and we are very fortunate that we have the range of kerbside recycling that we do !!  Many London Boroughs only get twice monthly collections, and won't take half the stuff that the LB of Hounslow does.Sorry for ranting...just my feelings!!!TA x

Tracieanne Mortensen ● 6404d

Claire,I investigated the matter in a general view so as we could all get an explanation of sorts from the relevent dept.Matt Harmer has offered to take up your case and I suggest you contact him as he is one of your dedicated Brentford Ward Councillors if you are still unhappy with the response and service provided?His e-mail address is as followsMatt.Harmer@hounslow.gov.ukRegardsPaul

Paul Fisher ● 6404d

Well you have all seen the polite but fairly standard 'terribly sorry, we'll look into it' response I have received. Slightly off point but are these letters proof read because that opening line is awful? - "Your box is emptied but is not placed back from where it was picked up from" Huh?Anyway, yesterday, the day after the council's response, was recycling day and I INHERITED MY NEIGHBOUR'S BOX. I watched as boxes were thrown overarm into gardens, bouncing off front walls and narrowly missing windows and also witnessed the rubbish left in the road as the lorry moved along. I was thinking of keeping my new box but decided to do what the service providers seem incapable of doing despite the complaint being taken forward. I returned the box to the correct front garden. Progress?

Claire Peleschka ● 6404d

Spoke too soon - paper trail following the van yesterday morning.

Sarah Felstead ● 6406d

Jim raises an important question - does the amount of recycled material collected at Tescos /Homebase count towards the Council's total? Recycling is a 'good thing' to do but if at the same time, it keeps the Council's costs down, it's an 'even better thing'.

Sue Thornton ● 6406d

No - that's why I get so peeved when they won't take some of the stuff they're supposed to. We can only live in hopes that the new contract is tied up a sight more tightly than this one appears to be - probably they'll have to get in some more consultants!

Vanessa Smith ● 6408d

The problem of delivering paper,box board,cardboard, and all plastics to either the Tesco or Homebase recycling centres..which are very convenient for me..is that my tonnage (;0) over a year doesn't get credited to the Council's tonnage target..does it?

Jim Lawes ● 6408d

Just a tad patronising don't you think - I agree with Steve - most of us only post on here when we have no luck through the 'proper channels'.

Vanessa Smith ● 6409d

Thanks PaulA very decent reply from Graham Flynn. I don't think anyone can fault his genuine concern in wanting to rectify matters and move forward. And very pleasing to note that he has read the TW8 forum and taken onboard resiodents' concerns.

Steve Taylor ● 6409d

Following my e-mail yesterday to Ms Taank`s Dept,she has as promised come back to me today with the response she received from the Operations Manager at ECT Recycling.Dear Ms Taank,Firstly thank you for bringing this to my attention.  I have checked our logs regarding this address and the last complaint that I can locate on the system was logged on 13th July 2005.  I unfortunately have no other details on the system indicating what the problem may have been at the time although a supervisor did attend the property.  I am concerned that the resident seems to have been failed on several occasions both in the collections and in the returning of the box.  I must add that due to the fact that no complaint has been logged recently we would have assumed that collections have been carried out as per the schedule with no issues.  As a result I apologise for the failed service and will ensure an immediate improvement.Missed collections and formal complaints logged are dealt with as speedily as possible and within the contract guidelines agreed by Hounslow Council and ECT Recycling. I have had a supervisor attend the property, without disturbing the resident, to identify any issues and to make an assessment for the path forward.  As mentioned on the Brentfordtw8.com forum it does assist us greatly if the house numbers are written on the boxes to aid our operators in returning the correct box to the correct house due to the number collected each day.  This said there is no excuse for procedures not being followed and for this reason I will be looking at ways that we can improve this particular aspect of the collection.Again I extend my apologies to the resident and will continue to watch this situation closely.Kind regardsGraham FlynnOperations ManagerECT Recycling CIC/Ltd

Paul Fisher ● 6409d

Thanks PaulHowever the senior "Community" Recycling Officer should be made aware that this is not a kids 'Online Chatroom' but is an open 'Community Forum' for use by all who want to be involved in community issues. In the spirit of open communication and transparency all Community officials employed as servants of the community should be made aware of the Council Leader's stance on improving communication with the public. In any event the original poster on this thread has had no luck in obtaining replies to emails sent to the department.

Steve Taylor ● 6409d

Hi Claire,First of all I have been assured that the formal complaint lodged by Mr Peleschka has been received and is currently being dealt with at the moment.Jayshree Taank also replied to me as follows"We have spoken to the Operations Manager at ECT Recycling who is going to investigate further and provide me with a response tomorrow.  Once this response has been received, please post on behalf of both ECT Recycling and the Recycling Team.  I would ask that residents would contact us direct if there are any problems with their recycling either by calling 020 8583 5555 or via email recycling@hounslow.gov.uk or by contacting ECT on 020 8813 1331 or via email info@ectrecycling.co.uk- only when residents do this can we be made aware of a problem rather than a post on an online chatroom.  Best regards, JayshreeJayshree Taank Senior Community Recycling Officer

Paul Fisher ● 6409d

Paulthank you for this. Could you also recommend that they type the word 'recycle' into the search engine and they will be able to see a number of different threads with similar complaints and concerns that go back some years. This would enable them to identify which changes, if any, have / have not been effective and will also possibly identify any particular streets / areas / zones of concern.

Claire Peleschka ● 6410d

Thats an excellent suggestion and I have just e-mailed the Recycling Team for their response to this thread and also registered the matter as casework.I will of course post any developments as soon as I hear back from themRegardsPaul

Paul Fisher ● 6410d

Paul / MattI am sure readers will appreciate your offers to take these matters up with the Dept., but why not simply refer the Dept Chief to the various threads on this community site and get him/her to respond openly to the allegations for all to see? That way we will all know where we stand and if the various suggestions e.g. numbering our boxes etc will assist the dept. At the end of the day all the community is asking for is a better environment to live in and anything we can do to assist the dept.,I am sure will be appreciated by all. From what I have read on the various threads on recycling and rubbish collections, is that residents are frustrated with the service or lack thereof. Jon Hardie already offered on another thread to take up the matter of the Christmas collection fiasco but we have heard nothing further.... I am aware of a resident in my area who lodged an initial complaint in September. He now has three case numbers and the matter has still not been resolved and the customer has been passed from pillar to post (each time a new case file opened.) Quite a waste of taxpayers money I'd say!

Steve Taylor ● 6410d

"The sceptical part of me suspects that this is because I do complain about the service"  Claire ... surely not?  :-)I have to admit that we have acquired 2 boxes with our address emblazoned on the side - probably because one was given to a neighbour who returned it after we had been given a replacement.  The two boxes work well as I can sort out the glass and tins so they are in clear sight for the recycling collector and they are less likely to drop or cut themselves when these fall out of the cereal packets.I watched them collecting recently and they carefully picked up any bits they dropped or flew out of the bins as they were working.  They have also been clearing the boxes out completely and no longer leave the one or two items at the bottom.I like the street cleaner coming around after the collections but to tighten it up to following the vans would be better especially when the wind has already sent the rubbish along the street.I do not like the amount of upper body strain Hounslow's collectors have to use when sorting on the van - some things they have to throw over their heads onto the top of the lorry.Are we looking at how other authorities organise their refuse and recycling collections to cherry pick the best working practises?

Sarah Felstead ● 6410d

Must admit that we do not seem to have any of the problems described but I am also like Cllr Harmer willing to take up any issues if you wish to contact me?Cllr Paul Fisherpaul.fisher@hounslow.gov.ukOr please contact via the pm facility on this forum

Paul Fisher ● 6410d

Yes  - ours is marked with the full postal address. But I don't think stopping to bother to read these are top of the list when they are hurling the boxes around! Let's face it if they can miss a full box umpteen times what chance has an address on the side got?

Vanessa Smith ● 6410d

We've never had a problem on our street at all, if anything, they're very helpful !!  They even take bags of stuff that are placed by the side of the boxes !One thing that does crack me up though....we live up stairs, so not always easy to keep things separate...we generally put tinfoil/cans/bottles in one bag, and paper in another, then carry them downstairs and put them in the box (in the bags)...noooo can't do that, you get a not though the door asking to keep thing separate...but....if you just throw it all in the box (not in bags) that's ok !!!  I took a bag out the other day as they were collecting, and the guy told me not to put tins and bottles in the same bag, as he could cut his hands while sorting them...and it would be MY responsibility!!  mmm...I spose it might have helped him to wear gloves perhaps??!!!TA x

Tracieanne Mortensen ● 6410d

My problems with the recycling service where I live have been ongoing for many years and have also been noted on this forum on many occasions. None of my immediate neighbours seem to have 'lost' their green boxes. It appears to be only me. The sceptical part of me suspects that this is because I do complain about the service and the easy way for the collectors to avoid such complaints is to prevent me from recycling in the first place by taking the box away. I apparently will receive a response from the council within 10 days so I shall await to see what explanation / action plan they have this time although I'm not holding out much hope considering the basic spelling errors in the e-mail already received from them.

Claire Peleschka ● 6410d

Mine has the house number painted on both sides but I frequently have to wander down the street to retrieve it.I think that complaints about individual incidents will only result in victimization of the teams who carry out the work. Proper guidelines and training should be implemented by top management.JL

Jim Linwood ● 6410d

Like Matt, I still have my original box.. that may be because I did the elementary thing of marking my green box with my house number with a marker pen ..ON ALL 4 SIDES. Simple!No-one else has mentioned whether they do this simple sensible task.  Help the recyclers by doing just that perhaps!Good night!

Jim Lawes ● 6410d

Perhaps it's just me, but i'm in Ealing Road and still on my original box. Anyway, I'm happy to pass on any comments, complaints etc to the relevant people. Click on my name or email Matt.Harmer@hounslow.gov.ukMatt HarmerBrentford ward councillor

Matt Harmer ● 6410d

They don't have the will to do anything about it....... a Department not fit for purpose?  "It is not possible to issue an instant fix in the form of a Fixed Penalty Notice in such matters as following recent case law we have to go through a procedure involving Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 which needs to be supported by substantive evidence."It makes a mockery of  Cllr Peter Thompson's  "A Greener 2008" booklet where he told us in his Leader Article how a greener community is so important to this Administration. "Those days are over" he promised us. "By showing our personal commitment to the environment, every one of us in Hounslow can help make our borough a voice for real environmental leadership, showing as individuals and as a council, we're serious.... "  Yeah right!!

Steve Taylor ● 6411d

The amount of litter left in the wake of a green box collection is a criminal offence enforceable by the Council - but they know that, don't they?JL

Jim Linwood ● 6411d

Well if the expected cuts go ahead they'll all be pleading the same story. Anyway this is an area where they could and should be enforcing the terms of the contract that ECT have, presumably a recycling contract would cover such things that seem to be generating the complaints? Such as what they should take for recyling which seems a bit hit and miss.

Vanessa Smith ● 6411d

You can try any or ALL of these contacts: Richard Lee, Senior Community Environment Officer - Tel: 020 8583 5077 email: Richard.Lee@hounslow.gov.uk Nada Khwaja, Support Officer , Community Environment Team Street Management & Public Protection  - Tel:  020 8583 5074 email:  Nada.Khwaja@hounslow.gov.uk Tehmina Khan,  Support Officer , Community Environment Team  email:  Tehmina.Khan@hounslow.gov.uk Street Management complaints  email: smppcomplaints@hounslow.gov.uk Hounslow Streetcare: email:  streetcare@hounslow.gov.uk Director of SMPP - Suresh Kamath -  email: Suresh.Kamath@hounslow.gov.uk Lead Member Environmental Services - Cllr Barbara Reid  - email: barbara.reid@hounslow.gov.uk Leader of the Council - Cllr Peter Thompson - email:  Peter.Thompson@hounslow.gov.ukGood  luck  but you may receive the 'lack of resources plea  e.g.  "I appreciate this is a major concern to you but  in terms of priority we have to be proportionate and equitable in the resources allocated"  It seems to be that whenever one complains about shoddy or lackadaisical service this department pleads poverty

Steve Taylor ● 6411d

Yup - had the same experience the other week - put out a bag of textiles - clearly labelled - left on our doorstep! Last week we too played hunt the box, we are recycling in spite of the Council rather than because of them! The textiles we took to Whitton and recycled them so Richmond got the benefit. There are also weeks when my car may be parked out side when collections are not always made for some reason best known to themselves - God forbid the recyclers should look past it and see the green box on the path all ready to go!

Vanessa Smith ● 6411d

What would collection days be without the Council's "Hunt the Box" game which gives both mental and physical stimulation. When the box is found there is the additional bonus game of trying to figure out why they have left some newspapers, cardboard and batteries - sometimes in the box but mostly on the pavement.JL.

Jim Linwood ● 6411d

I don't think there is any tactic to lose green boxes. They're just not very good.We must be on our 10th box. Last one disappeared in November. We asked for a replacement. Nothing received by early January. Rang again to be told the box had been "delivered" on 4th December, but clearly not to us! New one arrived last week. Was put out on Friday 18th January. Not there when we got back. Discovered in neighbour's garden. Now neighbour needs new box!Where do all these missing boxes go?PS I would be happy to drive to Tesco to recycle. But it doesn't always work there either.

John Connelly ● 6411d

I have just noticed reading another thread that this new tactic of misplacing the green boxes appears to have been adopted across the borough. (See Tuesday rant)Is anyone else experiencing this?

Claire Peleschka ● 6411d

I just went into the street services section of the council website and clicked on 'contact us'. You then have the option of contacting them by e-mail which goes directly through to the department. Hope that helps

Claire Peleschka ● 6411d

Can you please let me know what email address you used? Whenever I try to email the council about recycling (or just about anything else) I rarely get a response. Sorry - I'm sure that's not what you'd like to hear!The goodish news is that here in Layton Road they seem to have sorted it out at least partially. Our recycling day is Tuesday, so they come and do everyone in the vicinity but the small cul-de-sac at the end of the road where I live, then they come Wednesday and do us. I am fed up of carrying the rubbish up two flights of stairs every Tuesday evening, so I just leave it out there and hope it isn't strewn about by the time they come on Wednesday. But keep in mind that this is an improvement. So good luck.

Nancy Newland ● 6411d