Following the release of a copy of the contract between CRT and Biffa for rubbish collection, it is clear that boaters can recycle glass, plastic, non-hazardous metal, paper, card and textiles by putting them loose into the CRT boaters’ rubbish bins. Biffa will not recycle anything that is in a black bag, so you need to keep recyclable waste separate and dispose of it loose if you want to make sure it doesn’t go to landfill. This knowledge is welcome because many local authorities, including Wiltshire, closed all their mini recycling sites such as those at at supermarkets earlier this year.
According to the contract, Biffa must recycle at least 50% of all the waste it collects from CRT bins, and it has to report the percentage of waste that it sends to landfill. It must clear up all rubbish that is left on the ground at the bin compounds; it must clear up any waste that its workers drop when loading and emptying bins, and leave the bin sites clean and tidy. It also has to provide CRT with before and after photos of services sites. The contract includes removal of fly-tipped waste, including hazardous waste, from boaters’ bins and CRT’s workshops and offices. If Biffa does not carry out the contract as agreed, there are financial penalties.
However CRT did not willingly part with this information. A boater who has been inconvenienced by the poor state of the boaters’ bins made a Freedom of Information request for a copy of the Biffa contract. Although CRT initially claimed that this information was exempt from the disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, the boater pointed out that the Environmental Information Regulations apply in full to CRT and that the Biffa contract is environmental information. So CRT had no choice to release this into the public domain.
If you have concerns about the standard of the rubbish collection service provided to boaters or about the state of a particular bin compound, complain to Mark Stephens, K&A Manager, CRT, The Locks, Bath Rd, Devizes, SN10 1QR email mark.stephens@canalrivertrust.org.uk and copy your complaint to enquiries.kennetavon@canalrivertrust.org.uk
You can read the full contract here
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/biffa_waste_collection_contract#incoming-531495
See also
http://kanda.boatingcommunity.org.uk/a-load-of-old-rubbish/
http://kanda.boatingcommunity.org.uk/your-opinion-on-ka-refuse-facilities-is-needed-2/
http://kanda.boatingcommunity.org.uk/bins-to-be-re-instated-at-hungerford-and-devizes-wharf/
Tags: Biffa, complaints, FOI requests, liveaboards, Mark Stephens, refuse facilities