Lower Falinge Activity Group frustrated with council after lack of collection of recyclable waste

The Lower Falinge Activity Group (LFAG), a group which represents the tenants and residents of Lower Falinge, are frustrated with Rochdale Council after failing to collect waste from the estate a number of times.

The group state that last year the estate went three months without its recycled waste collected, leading to overflowing bins and an untidy look.

The group contacted Rochdale Council and state that after numerous ignored phone calls and emails, they restarted the recycling collection and promised that this lack of service would not happen again.

The group add that one month ago, after four weeks of non-collection and numerous phone calls to Environmental Management, the collections restarted and with the promise of a fortnightly collection.

It is understood that the non-collection was blamed on vehicle maintenance and their breakdowns.

A spokesperson for LFAG said: “The LFAG want to work with RMBC to find a solution to this problem, but it seems that RMBC do not. Lower Falinge residents want to recycle and in fact do recycle - the overflowing bins are proof of this.

“Whilst LFAG acknowledges that there is an issue with contamination, this is caused by a failure of the council's system – where the vast majority is caused by non-residents using the estate as a cut-through. This also highlights the tenants and residents’ concerns that RMBC do not take Lower Falinge seriously and wish it did not exist.

“LFAG are fed up with false promises and want to know why RMBC are unable to collect recycled waste on Lower Falinge, why the lorries seem to conveniently breakdown and why they feel Lower Falinge council taxpayers are getting value for money.”

Martin Taylor, Head of Environmental Management Service, at Rochdale Council, said: “We have been unable to empty the recycling bins at the flats on Lower Falinge on a number of occasions due to them containing large amounts of general rubbish which cannot be recycled.

“The first thing our crews do before emptying any recycling bin is to inspect it to ensure it doesn’t contain large amounts of non-recyclable waste. Unfortunately if we were to empty these bins with our recycling vehicle, the whole load within that vehicle would be rejected at the recycling plant and disposed of as general waste at a significant cost to the council. As soon as our recycling crews encounter this problem, arrangements are made to send a further vehicle when one becomes available to empty the recycling bins and dispose of the waste appropriately.

“We have been working closely with our colleagues at Rochdale Boroughwide Housing to raise awareness of what goes in what bin amongst the tenants of Lower Falinge flats. Our Recycling Participation Officers will be in the area this week to monitor the situation and to assist residents with advice and guidance as part of our ongoing efforts to increase awareness of what can be recycled in what bin.”