Here’s the latest from Lewisham’s Environment & Community Development E-Zine - and for more great advice on the recycling services Lewisham provide please visit their site at http://recycleforlewisham.com/

September Update - Textiles and Electrical Items

Where can I take my small electrical items to be recycled?

Lewisham has a number of small electrical recycling banks in the borough, the banks will help Lewisham divert more of its waste to be recycled as well as providing a convenient service for residents, at no cost to the council. The items will be taken to SWEEEP in Sittingbourne to be recycled.

You can place anything electrical from sandwich toasters and old DIY equipment to telephones, stereos and DVD players in the banks which are located at:

• Laurence House car park (Entrance off Canadian Avenue) SE6 3AT
• Sainsbury’s car park (Pearcefield Avenue, Forest Hill) SE23 3EU
• Catford Bus Garage (Bromley Road) SE6 2PF
• Grove Park Bus Garage (Baring Road) SE12 0DU
• Junction of Sydenham Road and Porthcawe Road, SE26 5SF
• Junction of Leyland Road an Eltham Road, SE12 8DU

Yes Please No Thanks Phones TV Monitors Remote Controls Computers VCRs Cookers Digiboxes Washing Machines Electronic Toys Light bulbs Kettles Batteries Hairdryers Anything that won’t fit in the chute Electric toothbrushes   Shavers   Small kitchen appliances   Irons   Small DIY tools   Clocks   Radios

The banks can be found mainly in the south of the borough as residents in the North have easier access to our Reuse and Recycling Centre at Landmann Way in New Cross – where these items can also be taken. Other electrical items can also be taken to our Reuse and Recycling Centre at Landmann Way.

Why can’t I put Textiles in my green bin and what can I do with them?

Textiles shouldn’t be put in your recycling bin as they can cause issues at our recycling facility and there are much better options than simply putting them in the refuse bin. There are various options for the recycling of textiles and shoes.

The first option would be to use Lewisham's new kerbside textile collection service. The process is extremely easy, but it is a bookable service – so please don’t leave piles of clothes outside of your home!

Here’s what you need to do …

1. Pick up a textiles recycling leaflet – you can get one from your local library, or download and print one from the following link:

http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/TextileRecycleFlyer.pdf

2. Call 020 8314 7171 to arrange a collection date

3. Put your clean textiles into a bag and attach this leaflet to the bag, make sure each bag has its own leaflet.

4. Leave the bag outside of your front door on the agreed collection date.

What can we accept?

Clean dry clothing, pairs of shoes or boots, belts, hats, bags, handbags, towels, bed linen, curtains, fabric.
If you are unsure of what you want to dispose of, ask when you call to book your collection.

What can't we accept?

Dirty, soiled or wet clothing, carpet, duvets, sleeping bags, pillows and cushions.

We’re running this collection service in partnership with ’Chris Careys Collections (CCC), a local family run textile business who generate over £100,000 a month for various charities by working in partnership with them. Virtually everything CCC collect is either re-used in the UK or in the developing world. Anything that is unable to be re-used is recycled into roof and wall insulation.

The second option would be to take your textiles to one of the many bring sites that are located throughout the borough on street corners or supermarket car parks. If you want to know where your nearest textile recycling bank is located, please use the following link:

http://recycleforlewisham.com/recycling-map/

If you feel that your closest textile bank is too far away, please remember that your local charity shop will often accept clothes that are still in a good condition.

 

August 2011 Edition

What can I do with my Garden Waste?

Lewisham Residents have 4 options available.

 1. You can take your garden waste to one of 4 seasonal satellite sites on Saturdays and Sundays, between 9am and 12 noon. This year the sites are in operation between 19 March until 27 November 2011 and the locations are below:

• Riddons Road junction with Mayeswood Road, Grove Park
• Girton Road Car Park, Sydenham
• Kitto Road, outside Orange Café, Telegraph Hill
• Laurence House Car Park, Catford

You can bring your garden waste in plastic or reusable bags.
Flowers and plants, grass clippings, hedge trimmings, leaves, and twigs and branches up to four inches in diameter will all be accepted. We cannot accept kitchen waste, vegetable peelings, soil, turf, stones or Japanese knotweed. No trade waste or trailers, vans or open back vehicles will be allowed.

The service is free, but residents should bring along proof of address and ID.

2. You can take all of your garden waste to Lewisham's Reuse and Recycle Centre on Landmann Way, New Cross, SE14 where this can be disposed of free of charge (if you are a Lewisham resident). This site is open throughout the year.

3. You can purchase 10 green sacks from the Council for £10 from your local library or through contacting CallPoint on 020 8314 7171. When a bag is full, you simply ring the number on the side of the bag and arrange a collection time with the Call Centre.

4. The final and perhaps the most fun option is to take up Lewisham Council's offer of a free compost bin and free composting lessons. The Council is doing this to reduce the amount of food and garden waste that gets thrown into black refuse bins. You are able to put a variety of things into your compost bin including grass cuttings, raw vegetable peelings, tea bags and coffee grounds.

If you are a Lewisham Resident and would like to take advantage of a free compost bin please call Lewisham's Envirocall on 0208 314 7171.

Free Composting Workshops

Our composting work shops are a fantastic way for newcomers to learn about the subject and they can also offer handy tips to composting veterans! In just 1 hour you can learn:

• Best placement and setting up a composting area
• Do's and don'ts of what to put in
• How to treat difficult plant matter
• Getting the balance of materials right
• Speeding up the process

Where?

Devonshire Road Nature Reserve, Forest Hill, SE23 (entrance is opposite Tyson Road)

When?

• 25th of August (Thursday) 7-8pm
• 31st of August (Wednesday) 7-8pm
• Please arrive 10 minutes early for a prompt start

How to book?

Booking is essential. Please email Kristina to book, stating which date and how many people will attend at kristina.binns@lewisham.gov.uk or call on 020 8314 2145.

Capital Clean-Up Update

Last month saw the end to the first phase of the Capital Clean up Campaign, this phase of the campaign proved highly successful with 35 events being organised and a total of 180 volunteers turning up to take part. This included members of the public, school children, firemen, community support officers and council staff.

Throughout the course of the campaign we collected over 160 bags of rubbish and swept, weeded and litter picked our way through 15 locations across the borough, check out the pictures below.

The next phase will start on the 5th September and will mainly focus on schools, so if you would like to volunteer for future events please contact Colin Sandiford on 0208 314 2295 or email colin.sandiford@lewisham.gov.uk

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can’t I put Ceramics and Ovenware in my green bin and what can I do with them?

These items are made from glass or materials with a different melting point to glass bottles and jars. If included in the smelting process, they produce weak points in the new glass containers produced, making them unsuitable for use.

Glassware, ceramics, window panes, or mirrors can also pose a threat to equipment in a glass recycling plant.

Why can’t I put Black Sacks in my green bin and what can I do with them?

A major problem that we have in Lewisham is that some people put their normal everyday rubbish into their recycling bin. This causes the contents to become contaminated with the wrong items.

Traditionally, we have always thrown our rubbish into a black sack before putting them into our black bins. And as a result looking for black sacks in a recycling bin is a very easy way to spot contamination. Now we do appreciate that some people may be putting the correct items in the black sacks, but we are unable to take that chance.

Our crews who collect from 2,500 houses per day, nor the staff at the Recycling facility, who sift through 8 tonnes of rubbish at a time, do not have the ability to check each individual black bag that they come across. Black sacks containing food and nappy waste have been known to contaminate whole truck loads of recycling. Further, consequences of the wrong items can lead to machinery becoming both dirty and damaged. Both can lead to break downs and stop an entire facility in its tracks.

Placing recyclables in black bags means that our collection crews cannot tell what is in them. They will not split the bags to find out if the sacks contain recycling due to health and safety reasons and may leave your recycling altogether.

Therefore, black bags can be used for refuse only.