Tag: refuse collection

September start for city’s new recycling service

P45: red box made redundant
P45: red box made redundant

Bangholm, Boswall, Craigroyston and Crewe are among the first areas to receive the revised recycling service now being rolled out across the city. 

The new recycling service for more than 140,000 homes in Edinburgh began on 1 September, and Households involved in the first phase of the roll-out (click on link below for a full list of streets affected) will have their green waste bins collected for the last time this week before they are used for mixed recycling.

Phase_One_New_Recycling_Service_Streets

Around 20,000 properties received new grey bins during August, which they will now use for general waste. Blue boxes will still to be used for glass as well as small electrical items, and food and garden recycling will continue as normal. The red box will no longer be needed.

Those who are receiving the new service will have been sent information and collection date calendars through the post. Throughout the week, as collections are made according to householders’ collection calendars, stickers will be placed on empty green bins advising they will now be used for recycling.

Phase_1_map new_recycling_service (1)

To help the public adjust to the changes, recycling advisors will also accompany bin lorries to answer any questions and provide additional information on how the service has been updated.

Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “We are rolling the new recycling service out in phases to ensure we get it right, learning as we go, and will be making every effort to help people to adjust to the changes.

“As part of the roll-out we’ll be ensuring the public are kept well-informed, with recycling advisors visiting homes, providing advice and speaking to residents about how they are adapting to the new collections.

“There is no doubt we need to increase recycling rates in Edinburgh, and I’m confident the public are willing to work with us to help boost levels of recycling while keeping landfill costs down.”

Councillor Adam McVey, Environment Vice Convener, added: “We all need to get recycling if we want Edinburgh to become a sustainable city, and this simplified service is aimed at helping citizens to do that.

“We have seen similar schemes working well for other local authorities and I’m sure we’ll soon see the benefits here too.”

Edinburgh currently recycles almost 40% of its waste but needs to continue to improve if it is to meet a target of 70% by 2025.

Not only does recycling benefit the environment but by upping rates, the Council can save on the millions of pounds of taxpayers money paid each year in landfill costs.

An analysis of general waste in Edinburgh, carried out in 2010, found that more than two thirds of people’s bin contents could be recycled.

Now, by increasing capacity for recycling, simplifying the system and accepting more materials, it is hoped the new kerbside recycling service will encourage more households to recycle and sort their waste, helping to save on landfill costs and paving the way for a greener city.

By rolling the changes out in phases, the Council aims to learn as it progresses, helping residents to adjust to the new service by offering advice and support throughout the process.

16pp_Waste_Guide

 New service:

Green bin – Tins, cans, paper, cardboard, envelopes, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
Blue box – Glass, batteries, small electricals and textiles
New Grey wheelie bin – All waste that can’t be recycled
Red box – No longer used
Food waste bin – All food waste
Brown bin – Garden waste

Bye, bye red box; hello, wee grey wheelie bin

Cllr Lesley Hinds: ‘simplifying the recycling  process is essential’

RED BOX no more!
RED BOX no more!

More than 140,000 city residents will receive a new recycling service this autumn, and the first of the households affected – including neighbourhoods across North Edinburgh – will receive letters explaining the changes later this month.

The new service will be rolled out in phases, with the first stage beginning on 1 September when approximately 20,000 households will have their red boxes replaced by a new wheelie bin.

Houses affected by the first phase of changes – in Alnwickhill, Blackhall, Burdiehouse, Cleikimin, Craigentinny, Craigleith, Drylaw, Gilmerton, Goldenacre, Hyvot Bank, Joppa, Kaimes, Leith, Liberton, Lochend, Muirhouse, Niddrie, Orchard Brae, Piershill, Prestonfield, Restalrig , Southhouse, The Inch, Trinity, Wardie, Warriston and Willowbrae – will begin to receive information from mid-July, letting them know that their recycling bins and collections will be changing along with additional information on the update.

The new, slightly smaller, wheelie bin will be used for general waste and the ‘old’ standard green wheelie bin for mixed recycling. Blue boxes will still to be used for glass, food and garden recycling will continue as normal and the red box will no longer be needed.

The new arrangements will be:

  • Food waste: existing small grey bins, collected weekly (no change)
  • Garden waste: existing brown bin, collected fortnightly (no change)
  • General waste: new 140-litre grey wheelie bin, collected fortnightly
  • Glass recycling: existing blue box, collected fortnightly (no change)
  • Mixed recycling: existing 240 litre green wheelie bin, collected fortnightly.

A full scale communications and engagement campaign will also help residents adjust to the roll-out, with information packs, collection calendars and details delivered to households and posters, web and social media updates spreading the message more widely, along with a series of informative events throughout the city.

Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds said: “We know that this new recycling service can work, as we have seen in other local authorities, and I am confident that the general public want to help us to boost recycling rates as landfill costs continue to increase.

“We will make every effort to help people adjust to the changes, engaging with communities, visiting homes, providing advice and monitoring to find out which households need most support.

“Recycling is something that everyone needs to embrace if Edinburgh is to become a sustainable city, and expanding capacity and simplifying the process for residents is essential for this.”

Councillor Adam McVey, Environment Vice Convener, added: “To meet our targets we need to see a culture-change – we want to help residents get used to the new service but the public have to take responsibility too.

“Edinburgh can and should lead the way to creating a greener Scotland, and by recycling more and sending less to landfill we can achieve this.”

Edinburgh currently recycles almost 40% of its waste but needs to continue to improve if it is to meet a target of 70% by 2025.

Not only does recycling benefit the environment but by upping rates the Council can save on the millions of pounds of taxpayers money paid each year in landfill costs.

An analysis of general waste in Edinburgh, carried out in 2010, found that more than two thirds of people’s bin contents could be recycled.

Now, by increasing capacity for recycling, simplifying the system and accepting more materials, it is hoped the new kerbside recycling service will encourage more households to recycle and sort their waste, helping to save on landfill costs and paving the way for a greener city.

This approach follows a number of other councils, including Falkirk and Fife, who have made the move to increase recycling capacity for residents.

By rolling the changes out in phases, the Council aims to learn as it progresses, helping residents to adjust to the new service by offering advice and support throughout the process.

However, not all streets will receive a new service – those who are included will receive a letter informing them this month.

Festive period bin collection and recycling arrangements

For the majority of Edinburgh households there will be no change to collection dates for green wheelie bins, food waste bins and red and blue boxes over the festive period, but there will be no collections on Christmas Day (Wednesday 25 December) or New Year’s Day (Wednesday 1 January).

Collections for households whose bins or recycling boxes were due to be picked up on these dates have been rescheduled for Saturday 28 December and Saturday 4 January respectively.

Residents are reminded that bins and boxes must be on the kerbside by 6am ready for collection.

There will be no special uplifts between Tuesday 24 December and Tuesday 7 January. Normal service will resume on Tuesday 7 January.

Christmas Tree recycling

Residents will once again be able to recycle their real Christmas trees at the kerbside this year, no matter where they live.

Those with a brown bin or who live in a brown bin area should place their Christmas tree beside their bin at the kerbside by 6am on their next garden waste collection day (collection days can be checked by entering an address or by postcode at www.greenboxday.co.uk).

Residents in non-brown bin areas can place their tree beside their communal rubbish bin on designated collection dates during January – check our website (www.edinburgh.gov.uk/recycle) or call 0131 529 3030 to see when we are collecting in your area.

To enable trees to be recycled, residents are reminded:

– To remove all decorations from the Christmas tree
– To remove stands from trees
– To please cut the tree in half if it is 6ft tall or more
– Not to place trees in plastic bags, as this means we cannot recycle them

Christmas trees can also be recycled at any of Edinburgh’s three Community Recycling Centres. Please note these will be closed to the public on 25 and 26 December and 1 and 2 January.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, Environment Convener, said: “I’m delighted that thanks to all staff working together to deliver the service, we’ve been able to put in place very clear collection arrangements, with only two days without scheduled collections in the whole festive period. I’m sure residents are as pleased as I am that this has been made possible this year.

“Whether they put it on the kerbside next to their brown bin, take it to a Community Recycling Centre or leave it out for collection beside communal bins on the designated day, people can ensure that their real Christmas tree is recycled once the festive season is over.

“Much of the rubbish we produce at this time of year is recyclable, like cardboard and wrapping paper, so please take advantage of our recycling facilities as much as you can.

“Remember to check our website over the festive period for any possible changes to collections if the weather is bad.”

Waste and recycling collections may be subject to change in the event of severe weather. For more information on what to do if services are disrupted due to bad weather, visit the city council’s  severe weather pages.

For further information, residents can visit Recycling and collections or phone 0131 529 3030.

Calendars for 2014 collections now online

Calendars are now online for 2014 domestic waste and recycling collections. Collection days are the same as in 2013. As well as accessing the information online, residents can order a copy by phone on 0131 529 3030.

Red and blue collection days – which are also staying the same – can be checked at www.greenboxday.co.uk.

Residents more satisfied with council services

CityThe major annual survey of Edinburgh residents has shown record levels of satisfaction with local services, continuing a steady trend over the last five years. The most improved services include recycling, street cleaning, parks, pavement maintenance and community safety. However, the results also highlight areas for further work, including refuse collection, dog fouling and public engagement.

Overall, 86% of Edinburgh residents are satisfied with the way the Council is managing neighbourhoods, a 19% rise on 2008. At a local level, improvements can be seen in all neighbourhoods, particularly the South West, Forth, Leith and Portobello and Craigmillar. While Forth and Pentlands generally fall below the city average, these have seen a significant increase in satisfaction since the previous survey.

Council Leader Cllr Andrew Burns said: “We know how much importance our residents place on us getting the basics right and I’m delighted to see these improvements, especially for the thousands of staff who work hard all year round to deliver high-quality services to the people of this city. What’s even more impressive is that this has been achieved against a backdrop of real pressure on public finances and the need to make efficiencies throughout the Council”

The survey also shows that satisfaction with how the Council manages the city overall has increased to 72% from a low of 35% in 2009. Commenting on the figure, Cllr Burns added: “This measure has varied a lot in the last five years and the most recent change is so large we should be cautious about drawing conclusions based on this year’s result alone. It may be that the progress with the tram project is a factor. Our strong leadership and commitment to listening could equally have helped. Either way, it’s something we need to understand better.

“Overall, while the results are encouraging there can be no room for complacency. We are ambitious for the city and there is much work yet to be done, so we simply need to continue delivering the pledges we made to Edinburgh residents and look for that to be reflected in future surveys.”

The public’s top five priorities for improvement included road improvements and safety, street cleaning and refuse collection, activities for children/young people, tackling dog fouling, and more shopping facilities and entertainment.

Deputy Council Leader Cllr Steve Cardownie said: “Our recent budget clearly shows we have listened to residents, with an extra £12m going into doubling the budget for fixing potholes and pavements, as well as investment in other facilities and services that the public value. The continued improvements also underline the fact that we have been responding to concerns, but we will make sure that we also tackle the areas where the survey shows we need to do more. That’s essential for the people who live and work here, but also for maintaining our reputation as a world-class capital city.”

Other findings in the Edinburgh Peoples Survey 2012 include:

•Improved performance of the whole Council compared to previous years. As well as overall management of the city, there were increases in delivering value for money and displaying sound financial management.
•Edinburgh continues to be highly regarded as a place to live with 97% expressing satisfaction, continuing a year-on-year increase since 2010. Satisfaction with neighbourhoods as place to live has also stayed very high at 94%, up by 8% since 2008.
•High levels of satisfaction with nursery, primary and secondary schools (excluding those who stated ‘don’t know’).
•Improved satisfaction with the way the Council communicates with customers and “puts customers first”.
•Satisfaction has reduced in refuse collection (to 78%) and dog fouling (to 48%).
•Road maintenance continues to have a lower satisfaction score than other services (56%), staying about the same over the five-year period.
•Reduced feeling of ability to have a say on local issues and services.

More detailed analysis will be carried out to understand the reasons underlying the changes in satisfaction, and the research will also be used by managers and staff to develop action plans for maintaining high performance and addressing areas for improvement.

One area that’s been highlighted for improvement is refuse collection and recycling. The introduction of fortnightly bin collections proved unpopular when introduced last year, and the council acknowledges there are still issues to be resolved. Local resident Frank emailed a picture of his bin (below) yesterday, saying: ‘I live in Granton Terrace and the bin men have left half the buckets in the street because they say they are overfilled. We received a phone call from them saying we can take our excess rubbish to a Recycling Centre. Do you think that would be a good idea, taking rubbish bags on the bus to Seafield?”

So the council is making progress, but there’s still room for improvement in service delivery. But then, you’re never going to be able to please all of the people all of the time, are you?

bin

 Do you think council services have improved in your neighbourhood? Let us know!

 

Check for change to your festive bin collections

rubbish1

Edinburgh residents are being asked to check changes to their refuse and recycling collection days over the festive season. Collections will be earlier than usual in order to take account of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Collection dates for green household bins and food waste will change from:

  • Tuesday 25 December – Saturday 22 December;
  • Wednesday 26 December – Sunday 23 December;
  • Tuesday 1 January – Saturday 29 December;
  • Wednesday 2 January – Sunday 30 December;
  • Thursday 3 January – Saturday 5 January.

Red and blue box collections will be as normal apart from those due to be picked up on Christmas Day, which will change to Saturday 22, and New Year’s Day, which will change to Saturday 29. If boxes are not picked up on these dates, please leave them out until they are collected. Please note that services may be subject to change in the event of severe weather.

Christmas trees will be picked up by refuse collectors if they are left on the kerbside on brown bin collection days from January 7. They should have all decorations removed and cut into five foot lengths. Trees can also be recycled at any of the city’s three community recycling centres. Garden waste bins will not be collected from December 22 until January 6.

Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Hinds said: “It is important that residents make sure that they find out when refuse and recycling will be picked up during the festive season. “A lot of the rubbish we produce at this time of year is recyclable, like cardboard and wrapping paper, so take advantage of our recycling facilities and try to stick to the reduce, re-use and recycle message. “We have made special arrangements to make sure that no-one misses a collection at this time but we can’t control the weather so please check our website over Christmas for any possible changes if the weather is bad.”

For more information about rubbish and recycling, please visit the Council website.

North Edinburgh – weekly managed collections

Councillor Lesley Hinds gives an update on refuse collection issues:

Like all residents in Edinburgh , I am sure those living in North Edinburgh aspire to live in an area with clean streets and open spaces, efficient rubbish uplift and the opportunity to recycle. As the Convener of Transport and Environment Committee and a local Councillor for Inverleith that is exactly what I have been striving for since taking over this role in May 2012.

Following the article in October’s edition of the NEN I would like to clarify a number of important issues about the city’s Refuse Collection Service and dispel a few myths which seem to have arisen about this important issue.

My personal view, and the one shared by the Labour Group on the Council, is that we fully support the in-house refuse collection service. Over the past couple of years we had campaigned to oppose the privatisation of services like cleansing and in November 2011, while in opposition, we voted unanimously as a Group against the proposal to outsource Refuse Collection. Our position on this helped defeat the proposal and led to the Council abandoning the Alternative Business Model programme which would have resulted in a private contractor taking over refuse collection and other services in Edinburgh. Therefore for there to be a suggestion that my group or I would want to privatise the cleansing service could not be further from the truth.

As a Council we are required to meet challenging Scottish Government recycling targets and we have introduced managed weekly collections as well as expanding our recycling services throughout the city. The plan is that these measures will leave us in a good position to reach our 40% recycling target by 2013. All political groups on the Council have supported this policy. Also, all groups put the savings which will result from this service change into their budget proposals. This year and the following years the Council will achieve substantial savings. Instead of paying increasing landfill charges we will be preserving services in our schools, care for the elderly and other important services.

The massive change in the Refuse Collection Service is intended to make sure that we provide a top quality service for residents while also making best use of our vehicles. As everybody is aware there have been some problems with missed collections since the new arrangements were introduced but these have reduced significantly. To allow us to deal with these challenges; Agency staff have been employed as a contingency measures.

I have instructed the Director of Services for Communities to take steps to make sure that all work carried out by Agency staff should be looked at and where it is possible, permanent staff are employed to carry out the duties involved. There will be occasions where Agency staff are used but these should only be in circumstances such as sickness cover or during extreme weather. I have asked for the action described above to be carried out by January 2013 at the latest.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our staff for their efforts in recent months and can assure them and city residents alike that this Administration is determined that Edinburgh has a modern and efficient refuse collection service which will serve the city well in future years. In order to achieve this, Management, staff and Councillors have to work together and as part of this process I have already had a number of positive meetings with the Trades Unions.

I would also like to thank residents for their forbearance during this massive change and if you have any issues regarding the cleansing service in your area please get in touch at lesley.hinds@edinburgh.gov.uk

Councillor Lesley Hinds

Lesley Hinds Ward 5 Inverleith Ward

A rubbish protest or a protest about rubbish?

A war of words has broken out between a senior local councillor and community groups following a ‘dirty protest’ outside the council’s North Local Office in West Pilton this morning. TIE committee convener Lesley Hinds dismissed the protest as a poorly supported publicity stunt, but campaigners say they will escalate their activities if demands are not met.

Two local tenants groups – Tenants and Residents in Pilton (TRIP) and Tenants and Residents in Muirhouse (TRIM), supported by campaign group North Edinburgh Fights Back – urged local residents to support a campaign to get weekly bin collections restored by staging a publicity stunt at the local council office. Local people were encouraged to bring along their black bags and bins and ‘dump’ them on the council’s doorstep.

Speaking before the protest TRIP secretary Jon Black (pictured above) said: “The Council has mismanaged the changes to refuse collection, and its unacceptable. We shouldn’t have to be cleaning up our own streets, but this is what it has come to. Its a public health hazard, and the Council needs to sort it out. We are demanding that the Council re-introduce weekly collections, and we want adequate recycling facilities provided in the area. We also want the Council to clear up all the rubbish that has been missed.”

Around a dozen people supported the event, which attracted media attention – but Councillor Lesley Hinds, convener of the Transport, Infrastructure and Environment Committee, said the protest was a damp squib.

“This has been a  poorly-attended publicity stunt that neither improves the situation nor  accurately reflects the needs of the community. Of course I’d be happy to meet  any of the protesters to have constructive discussions on how we can improve  their waste collection service, but they have made no approaches to us so far. In  fact I’m told there have been very few issues in the Muirhouse and West Pilton  area – which may be why only a handful of people turned out on Monday  morning.”

The protesters plan to have a public meeting next month as part of a continuing campaign to get the council to meet their demands. If those demands are not met, the campaigners plan to take further action and say that they will fly-tip rubbish at the City Chambers.

The Council’s talking rubbish!

Well, recycling anyway!

The city council has organised a series of recycling events to raise awareness of imminent changes to refuse collection and recycling services. The recycling roadshow rumbles into North Edinburgh’s Local Neighbourhood Office in West Pilton Gardens on Wednesday 15 August from 10am – 2.30pm and again on Wednesday 29 August (same venue and times).

For further information visit: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20048/waste_education/480/recycling_roadshows_and_events