Anger at recycling box waiting list

10:35am Tuesday 30th October 2007

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A council which has threatened to fine householders who throw away too much rubbish has a three month waiting list for recycling boxes, The Argus can reveal.

Brighton and Hove City Council is calling on residents waiting for a box to use plastic bags instead - despite a decision last year to impose £100 fines on anyone who repeatedly leaves extra black bags next to wheelie bins.

A council spokeswoman said the delays were due to a nationwide shortage of recycling boxes and were beyond the authority's control.

Labour councillors have written to the city council's environment committee asking why residents are facing delays from the refuse and recycling service, Cityclean.

In a letter placed on the agenda for the meeting on November 8, Councillor Gill Mitchell, Labour spokeswoman for the environment, is calling for a full explanation of why the delays have developed and when the situation will improve.

The problem is particularly acute in Mile Oak, Southwick, where residents have been trying to obtain the boxes since August.

North Portslade Coun Bob Carden said: "Mile Oak was one of the first neighbourhoods to have kerbside recycling and became the best performing area soon after.

"Residents are fed up with having to wait several months for extra boxes and this delay is turning them off recycling."

A council spokeswoman said it was surprised that demand for the boxes remains so high given the number that had already been delivered.

She said: "Nationally there has been a shortage of recycling boxes and as a result there have been long delays in obtaining boxes.

"This combined with the continuing high demand has led to the delays, which have been outside of our control.

"We have recently taken delivery of 3,000 boxes, and expect a further delivery of 3,000 boxes next week.

"Further orders have been placed and we have doubled our resources to deliver these as quickly as possible.

"We want people to recycle as much as possible and have provided all households with boxes when we rolled the service out.

"Given the number of boxes we have delivered we are surprised at the continuing high demand."

Earlier this year The Argus revealed that the city was throwing away more than £600,000 a year by failing to recycle.

Half of all rubbish in Brighton and Hove could be recycled under the current city council service but only 27 per cent is being placed in black boxes - leading to a huge landfill bill.

Households are being asked to make the most of their current recycling boxes by Placing more than one material in their boxes and separating them with plastic bags.

Placing any materials that do not fit in the boxes next to them in plastic bags, one material per bag.

Making sure that all materials are folded or squashed properly so that they fit into existing boxes.

Are you waiting for a recycling box? Tell us how long you have been waiting for below.