New Council contractors make a false start

Recycling facility still a mess despite promises

Last week Actonw3.com published an article about the startling contrast between the recycling facility at Waitrose in West Ealing and the one at Morrisons in Acton. In the article, Neil Dhot, Head of Communications at Ealing Council, told us that steps were being taken to resolve matters including employing a new contractor to collect paper from the site.

He told us that the site had been checked on 26 September by the Ealing recycling team and was clean and tidy.

Alerted by further posts on the Actonw3.com forum, I made a request on the Forum for further photographs of the facility today (October 2nd). These photographs (right) are not very encouraging. It seems that despite assurances, the recycling bins are still in the same state, only with more rubbish strewn around as frustrated recyclers resort to flytipping.

Neil says he was misled and apologises.

He says: "I would like to thank Acton W3 members for highlighting that our contractors had not in fact cleaned up the site, despite assuring us they had done. We have been on to them immediately and demanded an explanation for why this work has not been done. We have stressed this area must be cleaned as soon as possible."

That would be good. We will look forward to the bins being emptied in Acton Morrisons' car park. We hope the Council's new contract will soon be working effectively and we look forward to receiving the same service as residents in West Ealing.

However, to date no one from Ealing Council has addressed the question as to why the well-run, attractive and extensive recycling facility in Waitrose, West Ealing cannot be used as a standard for all recycling facilities at supermarkets in the borough.

Clare Gittins

October 2, 2006