Bin update from the council

Since the roll-out of smaller bins and food recycling bins 99% of people are managing well under the new system and dry recycling of street properties is up by 36%.

The team at wastestrategy@lambeth.gov.uk can help if you or your residents have any technical or operational questions that aren't covered below, and of course if you need my help with anything please let me know.

Why have you taken away my bin?

As part of Lambeth’s Waste Strategy, and in line with almost all other councils, we are redesigning the way we collect rubbish. This is so that we can meet new EU laws on waste management and take better control of the huge amounts of money we spend on disposing of waste. To date, the roll-out has resulted in a 25% reduction in the amount of residual waste.

Why are the new bins smaller?

With the extensive recycling services we offer and the new food waste service, you can recycle 80 per cent, on average, of your rubbish. Therefore most residents should not need the old larger bins.

Have there been any teething problems?

The small proportion of residents who have complained have been sent a written apology. Any logistical operation on the scale of Lambeth’s new refuse and food waste bins was likely to encounter teething problems. Nevertheless our delivery programme was 98% successful and only 2% or residents contacted us to seek clarification on the bin they have received. Figures demonstrate that residents are embracing this new and essential service.

Why am I sharing a bin with my neighbour?

Everyone who lives in a house which has been converted into flats will be sharing a bin. This is because we wanted to ensure that residents did not have too many bins in their front garden and to make good use of the existing bins. Therefore instead of having six small bins for six flats, we have given residents three larger bins to share. This will help to ensure resident’s gardens are not full of bins.

If I have a problem with sharing a bin with my neighbour what do I do?

First, try to resolve any issues with your neighbour. Most problems are likely to centre around individuals producing more than their fair share of rubbish. Even if we provided individual bins it would be difficult to ensure people only used their own bin. Please provide us with as much information as possible, including whether or not they are recycling and we will review what action we can take to try and help. We did receive some complaints that bins were being stolen but this appears to have been a minor problem and has settled down.

If I cannot fit all my waste into the bin, can I get a bigger one?

Check on our website www.lambeth.gov.uk/recycling to find out everything that you can recycle and where you can recycle other items which we do not collect from homes. If you are using both the food waste and recycling service and still cannot manage then please get in touch. We can arrange for someone to visit and provide more advice on coping with the new system. Larger bins are offered to households with six or more permanent residents. If this applies to you please contact us and we can send you an application form.

Won’t this lead to an increase in fly-tipping?

Compared to last year we have seen an 8% drop in fly tipped waste and although we do not believe this is associated with the change in service, we do believe it is a strong indication that residents have not resorted to dumping their waste on the street.
Will my collection day stay the same?

Your refuse and recycling collection day will remain the same. If you were already on the food waste collection service then your food waste will be collected on the same day as your waste and recycling, once the new refuse bin arrangements are in place. If you are new to the food waste service then it will be collected on the same day as everything else. Garden waste collections will also change to the same collection day as refuse and recycling, but we will contact all service users about this separately. These changes are planned for early 2014.

Can I put recycling in my rubbish bin?

Recycling was made compulsory in Lambeth in 2011 so please do not put recycling in your rubbish. Recycling is really good for the environment as it ensures that items get a second chance at life and can be created into a new product.

I have a sticker on my bin saying I had too much waste. What do I do next?

If you had too much waste, we will have collected it for now. However in future we will not be collecting excess waste. Please ensure that you are making full use of the recycling and food waste service. For advice on how to reduce your waste, check out our website www.lambeth.gov.uk\recycling

Can I keep my old bin instead of using a new one?

Unfortunately not - We have changed everyone’s bins to help increase recycling. We are collecting everyone’s bins and sending them to be recycled. If you do keep your old bin and place it out for collection it will be removed at some point in the future.

I want to make a water butt out of my old bin, can I keep it?

Yes, this is fine. Please send us a photo to use as part of our work to encourage water saving measures!

I bought my own bin, it is a private bin, can I keep it?

Yes, if it is your own private property you are of course entitled to keep it. Please ensure you take it back in straight after collection as we will be unable to return it to you if it is removed as part of the replacement programme. Please do not place it out for collection after the changes have been made as it will be removed. We will only collect waste from your new allocated bin.

I bought a larger size bin from the council and they have taken it away, I should have my money refunded.

I am afraid we are unable to make any refunds as the service has completely changed, including the circumstances under which households are entitled to a larger bin. If there are six or more people living permanently at your address please request an application form for a larger bin. There was no guarantee provided when larger bins were purchased over how long their use would continue.

My bin is missing?

If your bin is missing:
1. Do you live in a flat? If so you may be sharing a bin with your neighbour. If you are unsure whether  you should have a slimline bin or a shared bin, then please get in touch;
2. Please ensure you check on your street, the bin crew may have misplaced your bin by accident;
3. You are welcome to put your property number or some other identity onto your bin to try and prevent this happening again.

What will happen to my old bin?

The best quality ones will be kept for reuse, otherwise they will be recycled to make new plastic products.

How much is the introduction of new slimline bins to every household going to cost?

We are only delivering new bins to 40,000 households, the remainder (converted flats) will be sharing existing bins. The bins were £14.50 each and all the costs are funded from Lambeth’s £1.474m grant from the Government’s Weekly Collection Support Fund. The changes will save the council an estimated £2million per annum.