There has always been something therapeutic about going to the neighbourhood tip. Getting rid of the old in anticipation of the new, or just decluttering or discarding when downsizing or moving house.
Yet, many people are saying that the new booking system for a visit to the household recycling centre is a pain. Waiting two hours for a slot only to be told by the staff that they barely seen anyone in the last couple of hours. Getting there and struggling to find proof of address. Some people find the booking system cumbersome.
Sign the petition to end this nonsense…
Gone are the days when could stuff your car boot full and pile stuff on the back seat and set for the tip. You might have had to queue a short while to get in, particularly on Sunday mornings or Saturday afternoons. But that was factored in to your trip. Now there are now no queues. Possibly this is Shropshire Council’s greatest achievement!
The council says that the system will stop commercial waste being taken the tip. It has no data on how big a problem this is, and it impossible to police. If a builder puts waste into a vehicle other than a branded van or truck, how will the council know its not DIY stuff? It says waste from other counties is a problem but again it has no data. Some waste does come from Powys and Staffordshire. For Powys at least, many Shropshire people in the west of the county take their waste to Powys. Shropshire Council should set up a reciprocal agreement as it has with Telford & Wrekin. Shropshire households can take their waste to a Telford & Wrekin tip but beware. Telford is a century out of date in waste policy and still uses landfill, a major source of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
But if there are fewer people using the tips in Shropshire, where’s it all going? There are as yet, few reports of fly-tipping around Ludlow (any should be reported on fixmystreet.com). The chances are that more waste and recyclables are going into black bins. The reduction in waste at the household recycling centres saves Shropshire Council money. Black bin waste goes to the Battlefield Incinerator, where Shropshire Council pays according to the volume of waste. So, more waste costs it more money. The incinerator generates electricity from which the council gets a small income. However, incinerators are now the worst energy source for greenhouse gases since the coal fired stations closed.
If you have had experience of using the household recycling centres in Shropshire, we’d like to hear from you. Please leave comments below.
And of course: Please sign the petition…
1. Fly-tipping has been increasing for years. Look back at the Star for comments on this, including those made by Libdems.
2. I’ve never had to wait two hours.
3. Having booked inline, I’ve never been asked for proof of address.
4. This scheme is an improvement on the previous system, where there were often queues to get in, and cramped parking inside.
So: I for one would prefer to leave it alone.
To book, you select a one hour window, but are given a 15 minute slot. Not very handy for me the other day, I had an onward journey from Ludlow to Shrewsbury via Craven Arms tip, and had to be in Shrewsbury for a specific time. Had to cancel one booking because it would have made me late, so booked the preceding hour, only for it to make me over an hour early in Shrewsbury. Sub optimal.
Bob Purcell,
I’ve booked three timed. Reasonably quick and would be better if the site allowed my basic details to be prepopulated. As I know very few people are using the booking system it has not mattered if I’ve turned up 30 minutes before my slot. Staff are helpful and I just show my driving licence. I hope we will be told very soon how many fewer people are using the centre, and whether there has been an increase in fly tipping. And Andy do you know why Telford is still using landfill.
I’ve used the new service several times recently with no problems. Slots have been available when I needed them and the staff very polite and helpful when I arrived. I think it specifies on the website that you need ID… and arriving by car surely most people will have a driving licence. I don’t understand the issues… move with the times