We have signed up to a waste collection commitment.
This clearly sets out the principles of a good waste and recycling service and what you should expect from these services.
We strive to deliver waste and recycling services which are good value for money and that meet the needs of our residents.
This means we will:
1. Explain clearly what services you can expect to receive
- We explain the services you can receive in Your Guide to Recycling, and a 6 monthly calendar.
- We publish information through local newspapers, websites and the council magazine Hounslow Matters.
- We run roadshows and attend local community events throughout the year.
2. Provide regular collections
- We provide regular collections of general waste and recycling. Details of when your collections are due are provided every 6 months in your calendar and on our website.
3. Provide a reliable collection service
- 99.99% of all waste and recycling collections we provide are made on the correct day. If we cannot access your road due to parked cars or if our crews are unable to finish their work, for example due to a vehicle breakdown, they will be sent to complete their work, first thing the next day.
- If you find your collection has been missed please report this to us as soon as possible; we will collect your missed items on the following working day.
4. Consider any special requests that individual households may have
- We understand that not everybody is able to move their recycling containers or black bag to the edge of their property for collection. If this is the case we will provide an assisted collection. Please contact us to discuss your needs.
- We will provide additional recycling containers to larger households if required.
- We provide specific waste and recycling collections for residents living in flats.
5. Design our services and carry out collections in a way that doesn’t produce litter
- We understand that some litter may be caused by our services. All crews carry equipment to clear any litter caused by the collections and are expected to use it.
- If you find there is litter left after your collection please let us know and we will arrange for it to be cleared.
- We provide collection containers which seal with Velcro to help contain your recycling while it is waiting to be collected. The food waste bin is lockable to prevent access by foxes or other vermin. Use of the food waste bin will help to avoid litter created if black sacks are attacked by animals.
- You are advised to contain your black sacks until your collection is due, to prevent litter. We will collect from small 80 litre dustbins if these are placed out at the front edge of your property for collection (please remove lids).
6. Collect as many materials for recycling as we can and explain to you what happens to them
- We have one of the most comprehensive recycling services in the country, with a very large range of materials collected for recycling. The way we collect recycling, separating it into the different materials as we collect, means that we produce very high quality materials that are in high demand from manufacturers.
- Full details of what happens to all the recycling we collect can be found on our website, so you can be confident that what you place out for recycling is being recycled.
7. Explain clearly what our service rules are and the reasons for them
- On your collection day make sure the correct containers are placed out by 7am to ensure they are collected. If you place your waste or recycling out late we will not be able to return to collect it.
- We ask that containers are placed at the front edge of your property to make sure that our service is as efficient as possible
- We ask you to recycle as much as you can using the containers we supply. This helps reduce the amount we send to landfill, and saves money on waste disposal.
- We ask that you place your recycling out in the correct containers. This makes it clear that the material has been placed out for recycling, and our crews can empty your containers easily. It ensures that the material we collect remains high quality. We ask you to separate your paper into the paper bag with no cardboard so that your high quality waste paper is first in line at the mill for recycling.
- If your containers are damaged or missing please order new containers and we will deliver these to you within 3 working days.
8. Tell you in good time if we have to make changes to your services, even temporarily
- Any changes to your collection will be advertised to you through your collection calendar; this is normally the case after bank holidays and over the Christmas period.
- If we know in advance that we will need to change your collection temporarily, we will let you know about the change to your collection by letter.
- If there are any unexpected disruptions to your normal service, for example due to severe winter weather, we will put details on the council website and on social media. Our call centre will also have details of any service disruption.
9. Respond to complaints we receive about our services
- If you experience any problems with the service please let us know so that we can work to resolve them as soon as possible. We meet regularly with our contractors to make sure that the service is running well and to discuss improvements. We also have field officers out monitoring the services we provide, to check that they are being provided to the standard we expect.
- We will investigate and respond to your complaint in line with our corporate service standards.
10. Tell our residents about this commitment to collecting waste
- We are letting you know about this commitment by making it available on this website. We have delivered a leaflet to every home in the borough. Information will also be in Hounslow Matters magazine.