Residents concerned as recycling issues mount in Grantham
Communal bins, which had racked up mountains of waste after recent recycling changes, will see concerted efforts by the council, bosses have said.
A spokesperson for South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) highlighted ongoing measures to engage residents at The Grange in Grantham.
These include the removal of recycling bags to streamline processes and targeted support for vulnerable community members.
Residents, along with a local councillor, feared the new recycling system was less effective for communal areas.
Grey bins were piled high with two to three weeks’ worth of waste, with council tags of shame hanging from them.
It was also difficult to distinguish between responsible and irresponsible recycling.
Public access to the bins, coupled with the lack of specific ownership, led to distress within the community.
Coun Matt Bailey (Con) said: “I think SKDC has gone with an approach of too much stick, not enough carrot with refusing these bins.
“The residents do want to recycle correctly. The problem with communal bins is that even if someone thinks they are doing it right, there is no way to know and check. The tags could apply to anyone's rubbish, so the cycle continues.
“If one resident gets it wrong, all residents feel the pain and their bins are not taken. The mountain of untaken recycling rubbish is only going to grow.”
He called for more training, better signage, and flat visits.
Residents commented that the current approach of tagging contaminated bins appears ineffective.
They find it challenging to ensure proper recycling practices in the communal bins.
They noted the bins are contaminated by both tenants and passers-by and believe correcting the problem with public access will be difficult.
Jonathan Nash, an environmentally passionate resident, commented: “The bins here are all stacked together and none of the blocks have the same bins as colours change.
“The block we live in has a walkway between us and the next block as it's where all the bins are so people just dump stuff there as it's easy.
“Sometimes there's a sofa or other items people dump as they see other waste and think it's okay.
“So with there being public access the problem will be hard to correct.
“Many people try to recycle but are not doing it correctly and I feel this is where we can have the best impact. We need to educate people as to how to recycle. Not just a poorly designed leaflet.
“Refusing to take rubbish is not solving the issue and in fact is creating a health hazard and a big fire risk.
“The growing rubbish pile is stacked near my mum’s and my bedroom. Due to this my mum sleeps with an insect net over her bed.”
Clive, another resident, said: “There's so many different people's dumpings here, you can see by looking at it all mixed with the cardboard, foil, crisp packets and god knows what else.
He called for a meeting with all residents to discuss the issue.
“They sent you a letter but it doesn’t really solve the problem because there’s other people around the back and other areas that put their rubbish in as well.”
“Plus rats are starting to come around and that’s another issue,” he added.
Many residents, including elderly ones, expressed a desire to recycle correctly but faced obstacles due to the current system.
Suggestions include providing additional training, better signage, and potentially conducting flat visits to educate residents on proper recycling practices.
Gloria Gorter said: “It can’t go on like this. We’ll get rats.
“I’ve got a white bag to go down and I’m frightened to take it down. There’s quite a lot there.”
Residents fear that the uncollected waste is creating unsanitary conditions, attracting pests such as rats, which pose a health risk to the community and a potential fire hazard.
After being contacted by LincsOnline, SKDC stated it will improve recycling and address health concerns from overflowing bins.
A spokesperson said: “[The council] continues to work with residents across the district to help them get the right thing in the right bin and so increase the effectiveness of our recycling effort.”
Measures include removing recycling bags for clearer processes and supporting vulnerable residents.
SKDC also plans to increase waste collection services and implement educational campaigns to promote proper recycling practices among residents.
“Data from recent collections is enabling targeted communication and assistance where appropriate,” said the spokesperson.
“There are different recycling processes in place at SKDC communal housing schemes – however, where residents use a clear sack or carrier bag, their recycling should be emptied loose into the silver recycling bin or designated communal bin.
“They should also make use of the purple-lidded paper and card bin where there is one.”
The council has increased general waste provisions for communal sites and urged residents to respect communal areas.
It also encouraged the use of the council’s bulky waste service for larger items such as furniture or white goods.
