Harlow recycling centre to be brought back in-house
News / Sat 2nd Apr 2022 at 09:51am
RUNNING of recycling centres to be brought in-house as Essex County Council builds a service fit for the future.
Site staff transferred to be directly employed by Essex County Council (ECC) from today (Friday 1st April) as part of move to run services in-house.
Recycling centres and waste transfer stations in Essex will be operated directly by ECC, delivering a high quality, customer focused and sustainable service, which offers value for money to taxpayers.
Today (Friday 1st April), Veolia staff at ECC’s recycling centres and waste transfer stations have moved to being directly employed by the County Council, following a consultation with employees and the GMB Union.
The move will help the County Council operate a service which meets the aims and objectives set out in our Everyone’s Essex strategy to minimise waste and increase recycling of non-reusable items, whilst also providing maximum flexibility to adapt to future requirements.
Recycling centres and waste transfer stations will continue operating as normal, however, residents may notice updates to signage at sites to reflect the change, as well as new uniforms for staff.
Going forward, ECC aims to support sustainability and drive improvements to services at both recycling centres and waste transfer stations.
Cllr Bob Massey, ECC Deputy Cabinet Member for Waste Reduction and Recycling, said: “Bringing recycling centres and waste transfer stations in-house will bring multiple benefits including providing value for money for Essex taxpayers as well as helping plan for future growth, as we implement the aims of our Everyone’s Essex strategy.
“We look forward to welcoming the new staff members into the Essex County Council family and will be there to support them throughout to ensure the process is as seamless as possible.”
Alan Leverett
2022-04-02 10:39:57
Well Done Essex County Council. Lets hope you re-site it away from the congestion of Riverway and the possible River Stort Crossing. Take a note of the new recycling centre in Ware they have a website. its designed for you to be given an allocated parking space at the gate and you open the boot and walk a couple of spaces to drop your waste in the appropriate skip. No steps to climb. So quick and easy to access and no ques to get in.
matt
2022-04-02 11:57:03
does this mean the i can go there in my van instead of booking in first and might have some staff that help you and dont just grunt at you
Nostradamus
2022-04-02 13:33:44
Alan, take note : keep the centre well away from the added complexity of a frecking website and booking slots. Council websites are generally dreadful and there's many many people who haven't the technology. Also, Essex and the UK would do well to copy the idea from other nations where the recycling centres are also repair, renovating recycling small businesses and crafts hubs. Much that is difficult to recycle en mass as waste can be given new life. It's a popular and workable approach although I doubt Essex hasn't the imagination, they haven't worked out how fix pot holes yet, nor how to use fast pothole long life patch technology or how to fix essential traffic safety signs (like the one on Church Langley Way Tesco roundabout, that was smashed several months ago), so the chances of Essex running recycling centres effectively and adopting new ideas are disappointingly extremely low. I visited the Harlow Centre yesterday, lots of guys standing around together drinking tea, only prepared to point at bins rather than help people who were clearly struggling. However, one can't blame them especially when one remembers some years back, the case of the council worker at the garden waste tip at Latton, he was censured by management for being too helpful and kind.
Nostradamus
2022-04-02 14:00:12
Alan take note: keep the recycling well away from fecking websites and online booking, Council websites are generally dreadful and there's many who simply don't have the technology. The uk and county councils should take note of the schemes in other countries where recycling centres are recycling hubs with small repair and renovation business. These are able to give new life to many items and especially the more complex mixed materials and electrical goods that the en mass bulk systems operated by the waste authorities find difficult and costly to process. Such schemes are popular, workable, return a surplus as well as providing employment and sustainable businesses. However, one doubts Essex has the imagination or ability to be this creative, the Council hasn't figured out how to fix ancient pot holes yet nor how to adopt fast fix pot hole patch repair systems that have been recommended to them, Essex also hasn't figured out how to fix essential key roadsigns and lights in even a reasonable time (eg the sign and barrier on Church Langley Way Tesco Roundabout has been out of action smashed for many months). As for the recycling centre, I visited Harlow yesterday to find plenty of guys standing in a group sipping tea, willing to point but making no effort to help people who were clearly struggling. They aren't to blame, like me they probably remember the worker at the green recycling point once at Latton, he was censured by management for being too helpful and kind.
Edward
2022-04-02 14:17:32
I agree with earlier comments that have been disappeared. Essex County Council needs not to use online website bookings , Council websites are usually dreadful and there's many residents who have not got the technology. They would be advised to copy other schemes used in other nations where recycling centres are hubs for small businesses that specialize in repairing and renovating goods. These are very popular and successful and able to deal with mixed waste and especially electrical goods that the bulk waste recycling and waste system finds costly and difficult. Such hubs return a profit, provide employment, sustain the small business and help save the planet. However I doubt Essex has the capacity to create such a system given the fact that they are unable to swiftly fix ancient holes or repair essential safety and lighting on our roads.
Tony Edwards
2022-04-02 16:27:25
Begs a question as to why the sites were ever handed over to Veolia by Essex County Council in the first place. Back in 2013 Conservative County Councillor Roger Walters, ECC Cabinet Member for Waste & Recycling said: “Our new integrated waste services contract will ensure that we continue to deliver the best waste management services whilst providing value for money for Essex residents." Now Conservative Cllr Bob Massey, ECC Deputy Cabinet Member for Waste Reduction and Recycling, says: “Bringing recycling centres and waste transfer stations in-house will bring multiple benefits including providing value for money for Essex taxpayers as well as helping plan for future growth, as we implement the aims of our Everyone’s Essex strategy." Or as someone else said "The more things change, the more they stay the same".
Terry Brown
2022-04-02 16:40:45
How about a recycling centre where you do not have to carry your rubbish up slippery stairs, so dangerous I do not know how it was passed for use by health and safety.
Deborah Walker
2022-04-03 06:16:29
Amazing great news
David Vincent
2022-04-03 17:15:45
Perhaps people who take rubbish, such as garden waste, for elderly and infirm pensioners should not be penalised for using the recycling centre "too much"? Maybe doing a kind act for others should not be penalised by jobworths?
Alan Leverett
2022-04-04 19:49:50
Sorry I did not make my previous comments clear. I was not advocating or supporting making a booking online to deposit in the recycle centre. I was pointing out that a good example of a good site constructed without any stairs to climb that was the Ware Recycling Centre which is featured on video online It was opened in October last year take a look at their video.
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