From Graham Barker

Saturday, 7 February 2015

Rolls of bags are available free in the Town Hall. Go to the small office midway between front door and cafe. They're often just left out to be picked up.

From Jill Robinson

Sunday, 8 February 2015

Thanks, that's very helpful to know.

From Elaine Simpson

Sunday, 8 February 2015

These can also be ordered online on the Calderdale Council website, then they get left by the binmen next time they call.

From Tom C

Sunday, 8 February 2015

I find the above exchange quite strange.

I have never failed to obtain more bags by simply putting a note in the brown box, with my full bags, saying "more bags please. Thanks" (the note needs to be written on both sides of a substantial piece of paper ie an old envelope). The crew then leave a roll of bags in the box.

I suggest anyone who cannot get their recycling collection crew to leave bags in this way should report that crew to the Department concerned, either through the Council call centre or by email through the Council website.

From Eleanor Land

Sunday, 8 February 2015

I have no problems with food bags, my problem is I have nothing to put them in. I moved on 1st December and the house I moved to does not have a roadside plastic food bin. My husband has contacted the council twice by telephone and filled in an online request form. Two and a half months have gone by and we have received nothing. These bins must be as rare as hens teeth.

From Anne Williams

Tuesday, 10 February 2015

The universal symbol for 'please leave me another roll of food waste bags' seems to be to tie an empty bag to the handle of the food waste bin when you leave it out for collection. Obviously it helps if you haven't completely run out, but this has worked for me every time I've done it.

From Dave R

Tuesday, 10 February 2015

It can be a bit hit and miss leaving a note, however politely worded, we often don't get replacement bags.

I usually email to request some and these turn up sometimes days/weeks later, either lobbed over the gate or on top of the wheelie bin.
I will however save resources and collect from the Town Hall now I know they have some.

Our recycling service overall is very good. If you don't have the correct container or have more than will fit in e.g. paper, the overfill as long as bagged will be taken without complaint.

From Jon B

Thursday, 12 February 2015

The collection in Todmorden is shocking. We have a wheelie bin, which wasn't emptied on 2 collections due to the snow. We're allowed, according to Calderdale Council website, to have up to 5 refuse sacks collected alongside the wheelie bin - put 3 bags out last week - they emptied the bin and left the bags. Emailed the council, no response. I've left the bags where they are, I'm hoping the rats get to them and spread the litter across the road - then the council might take notice.

From Anthony Rae

Thursday, 12 February 2015

I'm not sure where on the Calderdale website Jon B has found the advice that households are allowed 'to have up to 5 refuse sacks collected alongside the wheelie bin' but that's not consistent with my understanding, which is that no refuse sacks (or 'side waste') are permitted if you have a wheelie bin; and that might explain why his 3 sacks have not been collected. This is confirmed by the information here. I suggest he contacts an advice line - which might be 01422 288002; I'm not certain - to clarify his position.

By the way the location on the Council website for ordering more food bags is here and it also states: 'If you require food caddy liners you can leave a note for the collection crew.'

From Jon B

Friday, 13 February 2015

The wheelie bin we have is half the size of most people's regular sized wheelie bin - hence we have been told - albeit verbally over the phone - that we can place up to 5 bags alongside the wheelie bin.

I concur that the Calderdale website doesn't say this. The last lady that I spoke to said our street was an exception due to the smaller sized wheelies, as we live on main road with a narrow pavement.

I have had no response by email, and 'callbacks' have been promised but to no avail.

I am driving into Halifax this weekend to dump the bags on Calderdale council office's steps.

From Dave H

Friday, 27 February 2015

Has anyone else noticed a worrying development with rural collections? Usually once a fortnight when the main waste is collected two small trucks come separately - one for the usual weekly recycling, the other for the general waste that goes back for landfill. On (increasing) occasions, they are sending one truck to pick the lot up, pouring the recycling (glass, plastic, food waste, the lot) into black bags and slinging it into the back with the non-recyclable waste.

When I asked the driver about this, they apparently 'open the bags back at the depot and sort the recycled waste out'. Call me a cynic, but really?

I have reported it to the council, who basically told me it never happened, so I was wrong. End of discussion. If anyone else spots this going on please report it. Maybe if more people got on Calderdale's back about this they may pay more attention.

From Anthony Rae

Friday, 27 February 2015

I don't know if this is the explanation to the circumstances Dave describes but the reason why Calderdale has shot up the recycling league table - still further, to no.6 nationally last year - is that it started to take its 'black sack' residual waste and put that through a MRF (Materials Recovery Facility - which sorts mixed waste into recyclable categories) as well, thus adding to the quantity of recyclates collected separately.

So it is possible that, to make the rural collection rounds more cost efficient, this is what is happening: the recyclables aren't being dumped but are retrieved at the stage of the secondary MRF.

From Jenny B

Friday, 27 February 2015

If that is the case, why are we all still being asked to wash, sort and box up our recyclable waste?

If they have the facility to sort then changing to maybe 2 wheelie bins - 1 for non recycle, 1 for all recyclables, would cut down on all the containers that inevitably get thrown all over the streets during collection, and/or bad weather.

Two neat, and possibly slimline bins, would look much better and could encourage more recycling.