Recycling workers leaving Colwyn Bay 'in a mess'

Feb 4 2010 by Richard Evans, North Wales Weekly News

Park Road, Colwyn Bay

RESIDENTS in Colwyn Bay are complaining their street is blighted by broken glass, bottles, cans and recycling boxes and fear rubbish could damage their vehicles.

Unhappy residents on Park Road say recycling boxes are being dumped in the street by irresponsible binmen before they are blown across the road.

Paul Williams, 46, has lived on Park Road, for 14 years with his wife Margaret, and daughter Leanne, 15, and fears the boxes could damage his car.

“These plastic recycling boxes are just left in the road with broken glass and tins everywhere,” he said.

“It is shoddy workmanship. They are not emptied properly. You find broken bottles in the road because they can’t be bothered to pick them up. The actual bins are just left up turned, they could blow into vehicles.

“I’ve had a right row with them about leaving the bins in the street. Either my car or somebody else’s car is going to be damaged.”

A neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, agreed: “I just wish they would put the boxes back where they found them.”

Cllr Chris Hughes added: “There has been some concern from some residents – they’ve contacted me. People were expressing concern, particularly over Christmas, people were putting out two recycling boxes and maybe only one was getting emptied.”

Andrew Wilkinson is the waste manager for Conwy County Council and responded: “Although we have not had any complaints about our recycling service in the Park Road area, we encourage any resident with concerns to contact us directly so that we may address them.

“We endeavour to return recycling boxes and bags tidily to the edge of residents’ properties once we have emptied them and our recycling supervisors monitor collections to ensure that they are carried out to the high standard demanded by residents.

“The vast majority of feedback we receive is positive and I would like to thank the people of Conwy for recycling their cans, glass, paper, card, garden waste, plastics and food waste through our kerbside collection services. It is thanks to their efforts that we were this month named the best council in North Wales for reducing waste.”

richard.evans