Council response

Thank you for your petition regarding the above matter at the Council meeting on Wednesday 16th March. I have been asked to respond to you.

The Tower Hamlets Refuse and Recycling service has experienced unprecedented pressure, over a sustained period, due to several compounding factors.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a heavy impact on crews who struggled to provide a consistent service. Despite a high level of sickness, the service continued throughout the pandemic.

As a result of residents following Government advice and working from home, higher levels of household waste was generated. The increased amount of waste and shortage of staff lead to higher pressure on staff who were working and collecting the waste.

There was also considerable pressure recruiting agency staff to backfill those crew members isolating due to the virus. Britain’s exiting of the European Union resulted in a shortage of qualified HGV drivers. With the exponential increase in home deliveries, as a result of the pandemic, it was incredibly challenging to find qualified agency staff as large numbers of vacancies were continually advertised by numerous companies.

The vehicles required to collect from underground storage bins suffered from sustained mechanical failures with the extended turnaround times for repair due to supply issues and staff shortages. The result of these numerous pressures lead to a service that was below the level we seek to provide.

As we move into normality, the crews continue to work hard to get the service back to where it needs to be. The Council has invested a significant amount in a new URS vehicle to increase the recycling collection rate. We are investing in new staff members to help with resident, and partner, communications and ensure fewer missed collections. We are working with Housing Association partners to increase awareness of behaviours which prevent regular collections. Behaviours such as cars parking in front of bin stores, the mixing of waste types which causes contamination or the blocking of access points. Finally, the Service is reviewing its entire collection route to optimise collections and reduce missed bins. This work will provide more efficient collection routes and focus on areas which are significantly challenging.

The Service recognises it has been through a difficult period and the negative impact that had on residents. Whilst we are very grateful to those front-line staff who worked right through the pandemic, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused to residents because of the reduced service. However, we are committed to improving and enhancing our offer. We believe that, whilst there is more to do, with the extra investment in vehicles and personnel along with route optimisation and enhanced communication, the recovery has already begun.

Yours sincerely,

Dan Jones – Director of Public Realm