Lib Dem Cllr Bob Hare has secured a promise from Haringey Council that it will promote the availability of smaller wheelie bins in a forthcoming letter to residents that will be accompanying new green boxes when the borough’s recycling scheme is expanded.

The promise, made at this week’s Muswell Hill Area Assembly, comes after Cllr Hare expressed his extreme disappointment that despite previous commitments from the Council, a new wheelie bin leaflet to be distributed to all residents only offers residents even bigger bins as an alternative to the standard size.

Instead of pushing the big bins, the Lib Dems believe that promoting the alternative smaller size will encourage more people to recycle their rubbish and as a result lead to a less waste. Lib Dems say that residents are being kept in the dark about the smaller bins, which are still much bigger than a dustbin, but take up less space and are easier for elderly and disabled residents to manoeuvre than the standard wheelie bin.

Cllr Hare comments:

“It is a great pity the Council has missed the opportunity to give all the borough’s residents full information on wheelie bin sizes in its new leaflet. Nevertheless, we are pleased it has promised to include information on smaller wheelie bin sizes in its letter to residents on the new green box rounds, although this will only cover a small proportion of the borough’s residents.”

“It is important that the issues of more recycling and minimizing waste are taken seriously and promoted by the Council. I will be working hard to ensure that the Council looks at other measures that will help. There are many extra things that can be done, such as encouragement for composting.”