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Waste & Recycling latest

Changes to waste and recycling collections

Harlow has to do so much more to reduce, re-use and recycle waste.

Protecting our environment is an important issue and the pressure is on because landfill is running out and the cost of sending rubbish to landfill sites will rise.

The challenge is on.

Harlow has improved its recycling levels over the last few years and has performed well given the limitations of the current collection system. The only way we can achieve higher recycling rates and reduce waste is to significantly change the way our waste is collected.

On this website you can stay up to date on the latest news about collections and read some of the background to why its important that we are recycle more for Harlow.

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New waste and recycling collections are to be rolled out across the town from the end of September.

The new collections, which aim to boost recycling, will start to be phased in on an area by area basis from the end of September through to December 2009.

The Council is currently undertaking work to prepare the town for the changes which will affect houses and low rise properties

Here is how the new collection system will work for the majority of Harlow:

Weekly collections of food waste in special containers for houses and low rise properties.

Collection of recycling (glass, cans, paper etc) from a wheeled bin one week.

Collection of non-recyclable waste (general rubbish) from a smaller wheeled bin the next week.

Bookable collections for disposable nappies/incontinence waste for houses and low rise properties.

The number of bookable seasonal green waste collections will double from 70 to 140 per weekday.

Around 22,500 homes will receive wheeled bins for the new system. This will not only improve recycling rates with greater bin capacity, but reduce littering that is sometimes caused by the current system.

One in seven houses is likely to be unsuitable for storing wheeled bins. These households will continue using the current system of boxes and bags for recycling with collections of refuse (landfill waste) and recycling taking place on separate weeks. Like properties with wheeled bins, these households will have weekly food waste collections from special containers. Also, unlike at present, they will be provided with refuse sacks for landfill waste.

Assisted collections will continue to be available for those who have genuine difficulty moving bins, and work has already taken place to update this list.

Flats will continue on the current system - weekly collections of residual waste and fortnightly collections of dry recycling from communal bins.

The collections will be carried out by the current waste contractors, Veolia, who were selected following a rigorous tendering process.

A comprehensive information campaign will begin in the next few weeks to start preparing households for the changes. This will involve advertisements in the local press and updates on this website. We will also have a programme of roadshows running in the summer. Near to the start and throughout the roll-out, information will be going direct into homes about the new system and the proposed start dates for each area.

Cllr Johnson answers Waste Questions - March 2009

Follow this link to read Chairman of the Environment and Community Committee Cllr Eddie Johnson answers to Questions on the new waste and recycling contract in Harlow Times.

The need for change

Nearly three quarters of the town’s waste is currently sent to landfill meaning only around a quarter is recycled or composted. Based on estimated figures from April to November 2008, 73% (13,564 tonnes) of household waste in Harlow went to landfill. Just 24% (4,424 tonnes) of household waste was recycled and only 2% (396 tonnes) collected for composting, well below the Government target for 2010 of at least 40% and the current average in Essex of over 44%.

Councils will be fined if they fail to reduce the amount of landfilled bio-degradable waste, and landfill costs will increase. The potential extra costs of doing nothing have been estimated at £1 million per month across Essex. These increased costs could have a knock-on effect for Council Taxpayers. The only way Harlow can reduce waste to landfill and achieve higher recycling rates is to make significant changes to the way rubbish is collected.

The existing collection system will not meet these recycling levels or challenges.

Press releases

Follow the links below to view copies of previous press releases.

Wheelie bins - the facts for Harlow - 19 June 2009
Council urges residents to check the facts about wheelie bins - 19 June 2009
New Waste Contract Confirmed - 16 June 2009
Council approves County waste agreement - 24 April 2009
Town recycling levels continue to rise but more to do says Council - 25 March 2009
New waste collections to boost recycling confirmed - 24 February 2009
Council to hold daytime meeting on waste proposals - 8 October 2008
Council to meet public about waste contract - 1 September 2008
Council to meet elderly residents about waste proposal concerns - 30 July 2008
Council agrees next stage in renewal of waste and recycling contract - 9 July 2008

Waste & Recycling Contract Committee Report

To view a copy of the report agreed by the Council’s Environment & Community Committee on 8 July 2008 please follow this link: Committee Report (pdf).

Follow the link for information on the Essex Waste Strategy (pdf), which details the county-wide plan for reducing waste and increasing reuse and recycling.

WASTE & RECYCLING CONTRACT 2009

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

WASTE & RECYCLING CONTRACT 2009 - ANSWERS

1) Is the council stopping weekly collections?

No. We will continue to collect waste every week from your property. We will be providing special containers for kitchen waste which will be collected weekly. Recycling will, as now, be collected every other week but we will supply a large wheeled bin to reflect the larger amounts of waste which are recycled. The main change will be that residual waste will now be collected on the alternate week from a smaller wheeled bin, or in plastic sacks for those properties that can’t accommodate wheeled bins.

2) Why Alternate Weekly Collections (AWC)?

The proposed system introduces a new weekly collection of food waste and a new bookable collection of nappies and incontinence wastes. The wheeled bins give extra capacity for recycling material and aim to reduce the amount of ordinary rubbish being thrown away. If you recycle all that you can, and get rid of kitchen waste through the separate collection scheme then there shouldn’t be anything smelly in the recycling or rubbish containers and they should be big enough to last a fortnight. Fortnightly collections of rubbish encourage waste minimisation and the Council is ensuring smelly wastes will still be collected weekly. Home composting of vegetable matter would reduce kitchen waste even further. Incontinence and clinical waste collections that are usually made by the Health Authority will continue. However, the new scheme will include a bookable collection of nappies and other incontinence wastes for those who are concerned about it.

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3) What about the Health and Safety implications of Alternate Weekly Collections (AWC) and wheeled bins?

By sorting your waste into the right containers, and washing empty food containers, you shouldn’t experience odour or vermin problems even with fortnightly collections of residual waste. Remember, your food waste will be collected weekly.

There are manual handling issues for crews with the current system of lifting sacks of waste. Under the Manual Handing Operations Regulations 1992 there is a duty on employers to, so far as is reasonably practicable, avoid hazardous manual handling operations and reduce the risk of injury. As part of meeting their duties employers are required to implement the use of mechanical aides as a means of reducing manual handling operations.

The introduction of wheeled bins mitigates manual handling risks (for both the crew and the residents) as it replaces a significant proportion of the high risk lifting and carrying part of the work with a mechanical alternative. Using wheeled bins avoids the need for staff to lift and carry sacks to the truck and the wheeled bins are mechanically lifted onto vehicle hoists, thereby avoiding the need for sacks to be lifted into the truck.

For most residents, wheeled bins should be easy to handle. The resident shouldn't need to lift heavy sacks into the bin, as rubbish can be placed into the bin in ordinary pedal bin liners directly from the kitchen. The bin is manoeuvrable by tilting and wheeling it around. Even where steps are negotiated, the bin can be "bumped" up and down them without lifting it, (similar to a pushchair).

To put the weight of wheeled bins into context, a large 240 litre bin (for recycling) weighs just 14 kilos (31lb or 2stone 2lb) – the weight of a 2 year old child such as may be in a ‘buggy’, or a week’s shopping in a supermarket trolley, and therefore as easily managed. It is not anticipated that a typical household would create a full load of dry recycling to be more than double that weight.

The bin for dry ‘residual’ waste (180 litres) weighs just 9.5 kilos (21lb or 1½ stone) – the weight of a one year old. Likewise, although the volume of dry ‘residual waste’ is unlikely to amount to a full bin load, even a full bin should not weigh more than a total of 18 kilos, (40 lbs or 3 stone).

4) Does this mean smelly rubbish will be hanging around for 2 weeks?

No - all low rise properties will have a weekly collection of kitchen waste. There will also be a bookable collection of nappies and incontinence wastes.

There has been widespread publicity about the risk of smells and pests from fortnightly residual waste collections. This has been considered very carefully and at length and there are a number of factors that reduce this risk:-

The majority of dwellings would have rigid containers to prevent vermin reaching the waste.
By sorting your waste into the right containers, and washing empty food containers, such as trays and cans, you shouldn’t experience odour or vermin problems even with fortnightly collections of residual waste. Remember, your food waste will be collected weekly. There will also be a bookable collection of nappies and incontinence wastes. To make it easy, this would only have to be booked once, not every week.

The kitchen waste would be stored in internal and external rigid containers that are about the size of a pedal bin with handles that pull down to secure the lid.
Other smelly items such as meat trays and cans should be washed before being deposited in the container. Some items can be washed in a dishwasher.
For those residents with sacks for refuse, that will be collected every fortnight, the above actions should minimise smells and risk of vermin.

It is proposed that refuse sacks will be provided for those residents who can’t have wheeled bins and sack strength will be specified so that it is of a suitably robust quality.

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5) Why Wheeled Bins?

It is widely recognised that the higher performing councils nationally use wheeled bins. Of the top 10 recycling councils in 2006/7, those achieving over 25% dry recycling, were on wheeled bin systems. The use of wheeled bins was considered as one of the container types for the following reasons:-

Wheeled bins will greatly reduce littering problems caused during collection.
A wheeled bin for residual waste would contain the waste effectively and securely and prevent spillage of contents caused by animals and vermin.
There are already some official wheeled bin areas across the Town, and there is inequity as some residents want wheeled bins in other areas who can’t have them as the contract is for a mainly sack service. This is problematic as some residents have purchased their own wheeled bins and present these for collection.
A large bin for recyclable material, combined with a smaller residual (non-recyclable material) waste bin encourages waste minimisation.
Less refuse sacks would be sent to landfill each week.
Cleaner and easier to handle for you and the collection crew
Less risk of injury to the collection crew (i.e. less manual lifting and no sharp objects poking out from sacks)
Encourages recycling

6) I don’t like the appearance of wheeled bins – Harlow wasn’t designed for wheeled bins.

This has been a difficult decision for the Council as there are a number of factors that are driving the need to change the way we collect waste. The technical considerations are complex and it has taken many months of careful consideration to reach the conclusion on the future collection system. After considering a range of options, it was concluded to be the most advantageous solution when considering cost and performance. Although aesthetic considerations are important, the Council has a responsibility to plan waste collections that consider wider implications.

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7) I live in a terrace house and my front garden is very small. I don’t want wheelie bins lining the street?

We recognise that wheeled bins are not suited for every house and from our survey we estimate around one low rise property in seven will not be able to cope with them. In these cases, plastic sacks will be provided for the residual waste, (rubbish that you can’t recycle). Kitchen waste will be in a different container, and recycling will still be collected from the existing boxes and bags for these properties. It won’t be possible to identify which properties will be affected until the final bidder has been selected and done their own survey.

8) I have four steps up to my house. Will I have to drag the bins up and down them?

A survey has been made of properties where wheeled bins may not be appropriate. We estimate that up to around one in seven low rise properties, will be unsuitable for bins. Some properties that have steps will be considered suitable for wheeled bins. The resident would be expected to “bump” the wheeled bin down a limited number of steps, (as happens elsewhere), but assisted collections will continue to be provided to residents who have genuine difficulty moving any waste containers.

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9) I live in a square where there are three front doors within feet of each other? Where will the bins go?

A survey has been made of properties where wheeled bins may not be appropriate. We estimate that around one in seven low rise properties will be unsuitable for bins where there isn’t space for them in the front of the property.

10) I have very young children. What can I do with disposable nappies?

There will be a bookable collection service for disposable nappies. We do recommend the use of cotton nappies with liners which are a lot more environmentally friendly. At the moment, Harlow is amongst the first authorities offering this service.

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11) My mother lives with us and she has incontinence bags. Will they still be collected?

Yes, the bookable collection service provided through the NHS for clinical waste will not be affected and will remain.

12) I am disabled and have an assisted collection at the moment. Will this service continue?

Yes it will. There will be an “Assisted” service for anyone who has genuine difficulty moving any waste containers. Also, for older residents living in sheltered housing complexes the current communal bin system will remain in most cases. The Assisted Collection system will apply whatever system we select. It means that for residents who have genuine difficulty moving containers, operatives will collect the containers from an agreed point, usually at the front of the property but, for example, it would avoid the resident having to wheel a bin to the boundary.

Work has already begun to review the current assisted list.

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13) I live in a block of flats. Will I have wheeled bins as well?

Waste collection from high rise flats will remain the same, using the existing large bins.

14) Why are flats still on weekly collections?

This is mainly because rubbish storage is more difficult to control in communal areas of flats, and to help keep the communal areas clean.

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15) When will the changes take place?

The new contract will begin at the end of June 2009 but we expect any new system to be introduced starting in Autumn 2009 in stages so that we can monitor the changes.

16) Will I have a wheeled bin for green waste like other towns?

The option of collecting green waste through a bookable service will continue for those who cannot compost or take it to the recycling centre. No, there will not be an extra bin.

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17) Am I getting a reduced service and will my Council Tax go down?

You will receive a better service with new bins. The cost of collecting waste across the country, not just Harlow, is going to go up. The current standard rate of landfill tax is £24 per tonne for active wastes. This will double to £48 per tonne in 2010/11. In addition, if targets aren’t met for reducing the amount of biodegradable waste tipped, authorities will be fined. And, the cost of oil to make the bins and for fuel is going up fast. Regretably, the cost of the new contract will be higher than the present one.

18) Why are you changing the contract?

We are changing the contract for a number of reasons. We are working with all the other councils in Essex on improving ways of dealing with waste. Tipping waste away in landfill is no longer the answer – we are running out of holes for landfill. We need to recycle more on sustainability grounds and to reduce the amount of waste we tip away. The rate of landfill tax for active wastes (that give off emissions) will double to £48 per tonne in 2010/11. In addition, if targets aren’t met for reducing the amount of biodegradable waste sent to landfill, councils will be fined. Not changing is not an option. To protect the environment everyone needs to do their bit – compost green waste, drive less, use fewer plastic shopping bags, throw away less food, and so on.

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19) Why didn't you consult with the public over the changes?

This has been a difficult decision for the Council as there are a number of factors that are driving the need to change the way we collect waste. The technical considerations are complex. It has taken many months of careful consideration to reach the conclusion on the future collection system. After considering a range of options, this was concluded to be the most advantageous solution when considering cost and performance. Now that the Council has decided on which basis to collect waste, we can begin a major information and feedback process to explain the changes, why they are necessary and how they will affect you. Obviously your views are very welcome, in particular with regard to individual properties. And we will make it easy for you to contact us, by phone, email, website, and post.

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20) What happens if we don’t do anything and carry on as before?

If we don’t change our method of collecting waste, Harlow isn’t going to improve significantly in recycling and will be sending too much waste to landfill. With the present pricing proposals, not changing will become totally unaffordable. Also we wouldn’t divert as much biodegradable waste from landfill as we could (biodegradable waste such as kitchen waste gives off potent gases when landfilled and so it is important we reduce the amount that is landfilled). Harlow would also fall way behind authorities up and down the country who are forging ahead with new systems. We as a council have a duty to help and enable you to do your bit to protect the environment by dealing with your waste effectively.

21) How is the Council going to keep the public informed?

There will be much more publicity and promotion of the new scheme before it is implemented so that the public are made aware of any changes. This will be in a variety of ways so that we can reach all parts of the community and to help residents understand any changes. For example, there will be information in the press and on the website, roadshows, leaflets and opportunities for the public to ask questions.

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22) When is this all going to happen and how will I know what to do?

The new contract is due to start in June 2009, but changes to the collection system are unlikely to start before September 2009. You will be notified in advance and the new service will be explained clearly.

23) How can I keep a wheeled bin clean?

There shouldn’t be any smelly, rotting waste in your wheeled bin under the new system as your kitchen waste will be collected separately.

This should help significantly in keeping a wheeled bin clean. Rubbish that isn’t recyclable could be taken from the kitchen in liners such as those you currently use to line your kitchen pedal bin, and put into the wheeled bin within those liners or bags. There shouldn’t be a need to line the wheeled bins with liners. The recycling wheeled bin is for dry recycling such as paper, cans, glass and plastics and so shouldn’t become dirty. You can use compostable food waste liners from the supermarket, or newspaper, to line your kitchen waste caddy, and a piece of newspaper in the bottom of the external kitchen caddy will help to keep it clean.

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24) What will happen to the different wastes when they are collected?

Essex County Council are the disposal authority for wastes, and are planning longer term solutions for treatment of wastes. This will include facilities to sort and treat residual waste and recyclable materials, to process biodegradable waste and to generate energy.

25) What should residents do to get rid of with their existing bins etc?

If residents choose to keep boxes/bins for reuse, (other than for waste), the Council is happy for them to do this. The Council is looking to offer a one-off service whereby they will collect existing bins/boxes which will then be recycled. It’s worth noting that not all properties will be on the wheeled bin scheme and so those on the box system for recycling should continue to use their existing boxes.

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26) How will the nappy collection work? Will residents have to call on a weekly basis?

The exact way this service will work is being finalised, however, it will be a service that you sign up to for a number a months which the Council will then review periodically. This means that residents who would like to take part in the scheme do not have to call weekly.

27) How will the other booking collections work?

Green Waste, WEEE (Large electrical) and Heavy Squad collections should work in the same way as now. There will be a bulky reuse scheme which is yet to be finalised.

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28) How many bookings will be available on a weekly basis?

Green Waste – 700 (140 each weekday)

Heavy Squad – 350 (70 each weekday)

WEEE (Large electrical) – 150 (30 each weekday)

29) What collection/receptacle can be used for food bones?

Food waste bones can go into the food waste scheme – in the small caddy which would be kept in the kitchen and then the bucket-sized external container which residents put out for collection.

30) Do Harlow Council replace lost/stolen/damaged bins and will the Council charge for replacing them?

All wheelie bins in current official wheelie bin areas will be replaced – there is no charge for this new provision. See question 25 for what to do with your existing bin.

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