Latest news on the wheelie bins - its a green one!

Councillors have just received the following (and some of us have also had the promised letter so, apologies if you already know all this)

Changes to recycling in Camden this summer – update

From July, suitable properties north of the Euston Road will be provided with wheelie bins so that paper, plastic and glass recycling can be put in one place. Experience from other councils that have introduced wheelie bins shows that by providing additional storage capacity the amount of recycling increases.

Letters and surveys about preferred wheelie bin size and colour were sent to suitable properties north of the Euston Road in October.

Feedback from the survey and from community groups has been used to clarify which properties are to receive wheelie bins when the new recycling service starts.

This month, another letter will be sent out to the same properties with the following updates:

• Residents who responded to the survey will receive a letter to confirm that they will receive a 140 litre bin or 240 litre bin in line with their response
• Those residents who live in flats will also get an update on the number of wheelie bins for their building
• Residents who contacted the Council to say that they do not want a wheelie bin will receive a letter to confirm that they will not receive a bin.
• If a resident who does not want a wheelie bin lives in a flat their response has been taken into account, but their building may still receive a wheelie bin based on the responses of others in the same building.
• Those who did not respond to the survey will receive a letter letting them know that they will be receiving a bin/their building will be receiving bins
• The majority of residents asked for a green wheelie bin or did not mind which colour they received. All residents will therefore receive a green wheelie bin. This also takes into account requests from community groups that all wheelie bins be the same colour. 

This letter also has information about how to contact us, so that residents can let us know if they would like a different sized or no bin or have any comments. Wheelie bins will be delivered in the summer and residents who want a wheelie bin will be contacted again with a delivery date closer to the time.

Community groups are also being contacted with an update on the changes and another opportunity to request that a Council officer attend one of their meetings to discuss these changes.

October’s survey received 8000 responses, and these have provided useful information about recycling in Camden. Responses said that the biggest single barrier to recycling is that people feel they currently did not have a big enough box or container. Residents also said that they do not have enough information about what to recycle. In order to deal with this last point the next letter will include a list of all of the items which can be recycled in Camden

Feedback and further information

You can view useful questions and answers at camden.gov.uk/recyclingchanges.

Email inbox at recyclingiseasy@camden.gov.uk is checked regularly and ensures that all emails are managed. Please use this email address if you have any questions for the service.

Council officers are still available to visit community groups to give updates and address any concerns. Groups can contact recyclingiseasy@camden.gov.uk or call 020 7974 4444 with requests or questions.

There is also a further opportunity to see what happens to Camden’s mixed recycling after it is collected by visiting the Bywaters materials recycling facility, in Bromley by Bow. The next opportunity to visit, which is open to any interested residents or community leaders, will take place at 12.20pm to 2pm on 8 April (Monday). If you or group members would like to be included on the next trip please email recyclingiseasy@camden.gov.uk or telephone 020 7974 4444 to register your interest. Information about the facility can also be seen at bywaters.co.uk/services/mrf.php