South Tyneside resumes collections after industrial action
South Tyneside has said collections resumed yesterday (21 November) for grey household, blue recycling, green garden, and trade waste bins and has advised residents to put their bins out as normal after industrial action by GMB and Unite trade union members.
It is expected that some services will still be impacted by the strike due to the action short of strile undertake in the lead up to full industrial action.
However, the council expects there may still be an impact on the delivery of some services when operatives return to work due to the action short of strike undertaken in the lead up to week of full-scale industrial action.
A council spokesperson said: “We understand it has been a difficult time for both residents and businesses due to the action taken by GMB and Unite trade union members. Although, services resume, we expect there will still be some disruption to collections as operatives return to work. We will be doing everything we can to get as many bins as possible emptied, and on time.
“We appeal for patience during this time and continue to ask residents to reduce their waste as much as possible, continue to recycle responsibly and present their bins in the normal way. We were disappointed that the GMB and Unite unions went ahead with their planned industrial action before the outcome of the independent investigation. However, we remain committed to resolving matters through ongoing dialogue including planned ACAS conciliation as agreed with Trade Unions.”
Belfast to run Christmas toy collection
Belfast council has asked residents to donate their pre-loved to local families in need in order to reduce the number of toys sent to landfill.
Toys that are unwanted but still in good condition can be dropped off at one of the various recycling points around the city including Alexandra Park Avenue, Blackstaff Way, Ormeau or Palmerston Road until December 11.
Councillor Micky Murray, chair of the people and communities committee, said: “Christmas can be a challenging time for families, particularly as prices continue to rise, so I’m delighted we are able to run this scheme again this year. Last year, the community really pulled together to support each other and make best use of items which still have a lot of life left in them. I am confident they will do the same again this year.
“As well as helping others, your donations are also reducing the amount of quality toys sent to landfill and, importantly, encouraging all of us to think again about how items can be re-used by others – which is key to developing a circular economy.”
2023 apprentice cohort starts at Enfinium
Enfinium has announced it has welcomed its 2023 apprentice cohort who will undertake a three year programme.
The apprentices will spend the first 12 months of their apprenticeship at the CATCH training facility in Humber before undertaking a two year placement at one of the companies siutes.
Mike Maudsley, chief executive officer at Enfinium, said: “Our apprenticeship programme is an opportunity to welcome new talent to the business, develop energy from waste industry engineering skills, while enthusing our existing workforce with new opportunities to better themselves. Our partnerships with CATCH provide an unrivalled suite of training opportunities that marks our commitment to investing in long-term talent development.”
Hounslow launches free collection service for textiles
Hounslow council has partnered with TRIAD, a fashion charity, to offer a free collection service for textiles to all households in the area.
The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world, and there are approximately 18,000 tonnes of textiles disposed of as rubbish across west London each year, or 300,000 tonnes nationally according to the council.
Items that are available to be collected include clean and dry clothes, pairs of shoes, accessories, jewellery and linen items such as curtains. However, items such as duvets and pillows will not be able to be collected by the service.
Households will be able to book a collection slot online or via the telephone and items will be collected from the property’s doorstep.
Once items are donated, they will be sorted at TRAID’S warehouse and taken to a charity shop. The money from the sale of these items will go towards funding projects that aim to “clean up” the fashion industry.
This will help to improve conditions for garment workers, stop the use of pesticides and improve the livelihoods and environment for farmers who grow organic cotton, or building childcare centres.
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