Recently I wrote about how hundreds of residents in King Street were being prevented from recycling.
I took the matter up with the Council and I have been sent the following undertaking from the Council’s Waste Action Development Manager:
“Please accept my apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I was awaiting a response from Serco which never came. I have now had a conversation with them and have an understanding of the problem and of a way forward. I’ve been advised that they do not deliver to flats above shops on King Street, as the rolls of bags do not fit through the letter box. Leaving rolls of bags out on the High Street would be both unsightly but also, means they are at high risk of being stolen and /or misused.
“I believe all properties with a kerbside collection should be delivered sufficient recycling bags, and so this current situation needs to change. That’s why I’m seeking quotes for flat packs of bags, which will fit through letterboxes. Hopefully, this will provide a solution going forward.”
Hammersmith and Fulham Forum 
I don’t understand? You can pick up recycling bags for free from the town hall or you can use any clear recycling sacks from the supermarket (costs about a £1 for a pack of 20 from Wilko). No bags is not an excuse to not recycle….
The issue isn’t the bags, its where to put them… Or are you suggesting the full bags are just left randomly on the pavement somewhere?
Not that it matters anyway. On the council estates on all sides of King Street (Ashcroft Square, Aspen Gardens, Riverside Gardens & Flora Gardens), all recyclable material is put in single massive bins, mixing plastics with paper & glass, rendering the lot unsuitable for recycling anyway. Its a total con, and even China is now rejecting this type of mixed recycling as the materials are so cross-contaminated, they can’t be recycled at all (try unsticking small bits of paper paper from small bits of broken glass mixed with small plastic bits on hundreds of tons of mushed together rubbish!)…
Its all lip-service and rather pointless, no matter who supplies the bags!
To be effective, like many councils already do, the rubbish must be separated, only then can it be properly recycled (and the council could even make money by doing so), but there again, that would require someone actually bothering to buy and install separate bins for each material, so that’s out then!