Forum Topic

Townmead Recycling

Can anybody tell me what the situation is like at Townmead Recycling? A friend has offered to take my many bags of garden waste to the centre and I really wouldn't want her queuing for a long time. She is most likely to go on Tuesday this or next week. Thank you.

Anne England ● 2294d15 Comments

Two hours seems to be the norm at a lot of sites. Causing a lot of traffic delays and disruption is a few places.  I used the Acton one of Bollo Lane last week do in a favour for a friend and wished I had not !!  Roasted in her car which does not have A/C and in anycase was not going to sit for hours idling. 1 hour 40 mins for Garden waste.  It was only enough to full her estate car but was all the stuff from winter as well as the lockdown and could have easily been burned in a short time but Ealing has a Bonfire ban for the duration.  Think Garden waste ought to be free for this duration as the pollution of hundreds of idling vehicles is far from environmentally sound. And Garden waste can be toxic if left with funguses or diseased vegetation so ought not be around children and pets or anyone less than healthy.The lady I helped only generates enough to warrant a bagful every six weeks so subscribing makes no economic sense a 3 monthly trip doing it herself would be the norm.And  garden Waste makes a profit as much of it it ends up back in £6 bags of Compost at Garden Centres.

Raymond Havelock ● 2294d

Thank you very much Raymond. I suppose it would be the same at Space Way - don't think that I would ask the friend to go there though as it is totally out of her way. Like your friend, I actually generate very little garden waste overall but, along no doubt with many others, have had a good tidy over these past weeks.I think I will give it a miss for a while.Thanks again.

Anne England ● 2294d

For clarity, garden waste does not make a profit. The fees cover the direct costs of running the service including paying the crews and for the lorries, providing bins, transporting the waste to the composting site (currently in Sussex) and the gate fees charged by the composting contractor (£36/tonne last time I asked but highly market sensitive).The fee charged does not cover the provision of the depot,  management, supervision, IT system, marketing and administrative costs.There's a lot more to do before it ends up as £6 bags in garden centres.Anne - it would be similar at Space Waye. Beware in Richmond they are operating a number plate-related rationing system so if your friend does go make sure she checks first.

Guy Lambert ● 2294d

Thanks Guy. I think we'll hold off for now!

Anne England ● 2293d

So isn't it time the WLA had it's own vegetative Waste facility like they do in other countries that then supplies it's reclaimed products to industry , Cutting out the middle man.

Raymond Havelock ● 2293d

Why can't neighbours share cost of green bags thus cutting down need to go to recycling l know of several groups that do this

Jean Harrison ● 2289d

Well that's a good idea and one I have thought of. I have seen very few of the brown garden waste bags in my road though. In this particular instance, I do need a friend's assistance with a car as I have a small mountain of bagged up garden waste, having cut back a totally overgrown (and largely dead but luckily now recovered) passion flower, a load of ivy and so on. Must try to keep on top of things from now on!

Anne England ● 2289d

This was suggested a while back among some neighbours but the problem was the big brown wheelie bins with nowhere to put them. No-one wanted one outside their window and certainly could not agree who should share it but be lumbered with it.Are there bag options instead now?

Raymond Havelock ● 2289d

Yes, and they are all I've seen around this area. The bags, like the bins, are brown and I think they have been around for a good while.

Anne England ● 2289d

We have been to Townmead a few times over the last two weeks, the wait has been between 15mins and 1 hour, very well organised, you need to approach from the A316 and queue in the centre of the road.

Peter Carey ● 2289d

Bags are available in principle but at present we are out of stock and having trouble getting new supplies.

Guy Lambert ● 2288d

What a pity people didn't keep old green ones a label from council was sufficient tied to them for continued use,

Jean Harrison ● 2280d

There must be quite a few wheelie bins and brown bags in gardens which might be recycled should the Council ask for unwanted/unused ones back?  They could then check which ones are reusable and dispose of ones which aren’t.  Sx

Sarah Felstead ● 2280d

I looked at the web site early yesterday morning, thinking I would check out how to book to take a slot in about a weeks time.  There was only 1 slot available, for lunchtime same day.I booked it, very easily, and we went over to find it well laid out and an orderly queue.  Lots of spaces closed to help with distancing.Man with his iPad directed us after checking our credentials which I put on the dash board.  In the past there were signs saying you had to produce proof of identity and address,  now they mean it!The only difficulty with the system is other dumpers walking to use the skips past your car, which means they can’t socially distance and come up behind you or duck in front of you.  Many without masks.  Would love to have parked the car more forward to leave a bigger passing space between the car and skip and would prefer everyone to have to wear a mask.Otherwise it was very simple to use and we were gone in about 10 minutes, you are allowed 15 minutes to offload.Townmead Road is always a nice recycling centre.

Sarah Felstead ● 2227d

:)

Sarah Felstead ● 2227d