Kerbs across Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush look a bit different now that new food waste containers and wheelie bins have been delivered to some homes.
Large green wheelie bins – for rubbish – and large grey ones – for recycling – were delivered recently. With light grey food waste containers also being delivered separately.
The new service from H&F Council is being rolled out across a limited local area to test the new system, before being potentially expanded across the whole borough depending on resident feedback.
Are you getting new bins? See where the new service is being rolled out.
The pros? The wheelie bins mean that rubbish can be stored safely the pesky foxes. This should spell an end to neighbours waking up to find rubbish strewn across their road. And separating food waste from rubbish means that it’s much better for the environment.
The cons? Well, the rubbish and recycling bins are big and plastic and not so stylish. And with kerb appeal important to many local residents, they may not tickle everyone’s fancy!
So far, responses have varied. From some residents objecting to the huge plastic bins filling their small front gardens, to other residents applauding the council for finally launching a food waste service like neighbouring boroughs.
Social media has been awash with comments from local residents, including Charlie Baker who said: “OMG! Ginormous wheelie bins just delivered. H&F must be joking. The recycling bin is HUGE! Big ugly things ruin front gardens and views from front rooms. Are we supposed to push these monsters out into the street on collection day?”
To which Caroline Macmillan replied: “They are VAST. And UGLY.” And later Diana Rae agreed: “I have four enormous ones in my front garden because we are two flats. As you say, ruins the view from my sitting room.”
There was also support for the scheme. Acton resident John Naulis comforted locals by saying: “I felt exactly the same when Ealing Council introduced these to Acton a few years ago but I have got used to them now. I’ve grown a bush to hide them from the street. Good points include no more rubbish bags for the foxes to rip open. All the recycling is in a single bin, no need to sort it.
And Matthew Croxford defended the scheme, saying: “It helps recycling/separation of all our rubbish and reduces landfill. Sure, the big bins are definitely ugly but so is London’s waste problem. We throw an awful lot of stuff away.” While a hopeful Steph Marinkovic added: “Fingers crossed H&F can roll them out everywhere. Sad to have missed out.”
There is no change to collections days for the homes in the trial area. You can check your current bin collection day here.
If you’ve been using your own bins to store rubbish, H&F say they can collect these from you, to help keep your property clear. Just email: cleaner.greener@lbhf.gov.uk
H&F Council told Horton and Garton: “We’re here to listen to concerns and help residents make the most of this great new service. So, if you think you’ve received the wrong number of bins for your property, are concerned about the size, or have any other bin-related queries, please get in touch.”
Want more details? Visit H&F’s food waste and wheeled bins webpage.
