4 December (Part 1) - Recycling the same old lies
Bexley council has reissued it’s Household Recycling & Waste Guide which is a
very useful document well worth keeping.
It’s the first to have dropped on to my
doormat since 2010 and it is good to see that butter tubs and drinks cartons
can now be recycled. It won’t be long before I won’t need the green bin.
Click extract so see all of the 2016 Recycling Guide.
Cabinet member Peter Craske repeats the old excuse that the problems encountered with the
introduction of the new garden waste scheme were because demand exceeded
expectations. This claim does not stand examination. There was a heated debate
in the council chamber last February
when the the assumed 40% take up rate formed the basis of an argument between Labour and Conservative members. 40% of
Bexley’s homes is 32,000, exactly the number blamed for the less than perfect start.
The Conservatives should be claiming credit for the accuracy of their prediction
and at the same time explaining how ordering all the bins in one go, before all the orders were in, would have put too much
money at risk. What they did was very sensible, to have done otherwise may have
resulted in a financial loss, however it led directly to the distribution
delays. Perhaps they should have gone for a localised trial first.
Unfortunately Bexley council is addicted to lying and
instead of explaining their achievement they are blaming the teething problems on residents who seized on one of the lowest prices
anywhere for such a service. A better service than Bromley’s and at half the price.
But probably not for long. Every single council announcement that mentions the price emphases it is for this year only. Councillor Craske’s latest statement repeats it.
I think we are being warned that the price will rapidly escalate.
It was my bin collection day today but you don’t have to live here to know that. The rubbish blowing around in the gutters and the unemptied bins are all the clue you need.
The new bin guide is not yet on the council’s website but
the 2015 issue is.
By the way, If you are elderly or infirm beware of the new arrangements at the
Thames Road tip. You are now expected to climb steps and heave your rubbish over
a high wall. Several people have reported that it has proved too difficult for
them. Bexley council: Listening to you, working for you.