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Five-week wait for recycling collection
PEOPLE have faced a five-week wait to have their rubbish taken away after a green re-cycling plan hit problems.
Private company Greencycle admitted it had suffered a set-back after taking over kerbside collections in Durham, Easington, Chester-le-Street and Sedgefield last month.
The company, which is based in Enfield, Middlesex, said its workers had been unable to find some streets on key routes and pledged to put the problems right.
Council officials said the scheme had been a victim of its own success, with far more waste left out than expected.
Greencycle took over the fortnightly collections, which are in addition to the usual council waste bin collections, from Premier Waste.
Residents were asked to fill a plastic bag with cardboard, plastic and paper and a green box for tins and bottles.
The firm said some of the problems were due to high demand from residents and extra crews had been put on in some areas to help with the workload.
But residents in some streets have complained that they have still been missed out despite the improvements.
Melanie Shawcross, of Thrush Cross Place, Gilesgate, said she waited five weeks for her rubbish to be collected.
"Five weeks is an awful long time to wait,'' she said.
In Brierville, Neville's Cross, Durham, bags and boxes were lined up down the street. It took the company a month before the trash was removed.
Resident Judith Webb said when she rang Durham City Council to complain, all she got was an automated message telling people their rubbish would be picked up.
"People round here are really keen to recycle. They are absolutely delighted that the rubbish isn't going into landfill but it is not much fun it you are sitting with tonnes of rubbish up the street.''
Both women contacted their respective local city councillor for help.
Greencycle managing director Neil Rippon said the firm had experienced a number of problems in the first few weeks but complaints passed on by councils were decreasing as the 100 employees, many of whom were redundant factory workers, were getting used to routes and collection procedures.
He added: "We are not 100 per cent but we are largely there. The main thing is that the rate of recycling has gone very high. Overall it has doubled and it has increased by 104 per cent in Easington.
Council bosses said they were delighted at householders' response to the scheme, but acknowledged some teething probems had still to be resolved.
10:17am Saturday 17th May 2008
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