But £54k in penalty payments from SITA show another side to story
After a somewhat faulty start, Hounslow Council believe the new recycling scheme is now proving a success due to the hard work of residents.
The collections, which started in March, have so far seen 2174.50 tonnes of food waste recycled, and 825.88 tonnes of plastic. Overall 473.2 tonnes of recycling collected each week. This also means a massive reduction of more than 6077 tonnes of waste being sent to landfill.
However, according to Lib Dem's Andrew Dakers, the fines imposed on SITA show there is another side to the story. At this week's meeting of the full Council he asked 'What are the figures for performance on non-delivery of punctual door-to-door dustbin and recycling services, and how much has the Council received so far in compensation/ penalty payments for poor performance since the start of the new contract?'
This revealed that the Council has received £54,000 in penalty payments from SITA since the start of the contract.
Dakers told this website, “The start-up of the new recycling scheme was chaotic. Hounslow’s Tory-led administration should have piloted the new service on a smaller scale and then had a phased roll-out. I very much welcome the improvements to the recycling service and increase in recycling rates. However £54k of fines imposed on SITA reflects the poor collection service experienced by too many local residents.”
Cllr Peter Thompson, leader of the council, said, "We have collected an extra 1500 tonnes of material for recycling since the enhanced recycling service started - a massive achievement. We are delighted with the positive response from residents who are clearly very keen to do their bit for the environment.
"More recycling means less spending on landfill taxes, which leaves more money for front-line services. I would like to thank all residents who are making this a success and urge you to continue to reduce, reuse and recycle."
For more information about the council’s waste and recycling services, visit www.hounslow.gov.uk/recycling, email recycling@hounslow.gov.uk or call 020 8583 5555.
November 3, 2009
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