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Councillor Prue Bray with her two sizes of blue bin bag – the one on the right is from the roll delivered to Cllr Bray. On the left is one of the bigger bags being delivered
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New blue bin bags coming up short

By Lucy Allen
March 26, 2012

Some of the new blue bin bags delivered to houses in Wokingham are up to 10 per cent smaller than they should be, it has emerged.

An unknown number of the blue bags being dropped on doorsteps this month will not hold the 80 litres the council said they would.

The shortfall was discovered by Lib Dem councillor Prue Bray, who got her tape measure out and recorded the size of the bags she was delivered.

She said: “Officially, these bags are supposed to be 40cm across at the bottom, 73.5cm at the widest point at the top, and 99cm tall.

“This one is only 36cms at the bottom, 66cms at the top and 88cms long.

“That makes it 10 per cent smaller, which would leave me eight bags short over the year. Then I would have to buy a pack of 10 bags, which cost £4.”

Cllr Bray has also published pictures online that show her blue bag set against a 60-litre swing bin liner and coming up wanting. Wokingham Borough Council is in the process of delivering 5.2 million blue bags around the borough, with each household getting 80 bags for the year. Normal black bags will no longer be collected after April 2.

Cllr Bray added: “The council needs to check its contract with Veolia. People will not know they have got these smaller bags.”

Resident Nikki Hamilton added: “I understand the reasons behind cutting down what goes to landfill.

“However I was surprised when I compared my blue sacks to a 80-litre Tesco bag and even more astonished when I saw Cllr Prue Bray had compared hers to her 60-litre swing bin bag.”

Blogger and Labour candidate for Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe Matthew Dent has posted a video online which shows him filling a blue bag to see how many litres of water it takes, with a result of between 66 and 67 litres.

Council waste and recycling boss Pete Baveystock was visited by Cllr Bray and her tape measure yesterday morning.

He said: “We have obviously delivered some that seem to be smaller than the other bags. If the residents get them, they should let us know.

“If the small bags are 10 per cent smaller, we will issue extra bags to make up that shortfall.”

He said deliveries of the bags would be completed by Friday, March 30, and some households were asking for recycling boxes.

He said: “Box demand is high, and we are keeping up with it.

“But I would remind people that because recycling will be collected every week, if you are managing with two boxes now, you may only need one from April 2.”

Mark Moon, strategic director place based services, said: “Last week we were made aware that a number of the blue refuse bags have been manufactured in a smaller size than the agreed specification. We believe that 2750 householders, 4% of the borough have received these smaller size bags.

“Veolia Environmental Services has set up an exchange programme for residents who believe they have the wrong bags. Incorrect bags can be determined by colour as they are royal blue and the correct sacks are a grey blue colour. Residents should contact the Veolia helpline on (0118) 909 9360 who will be happy to visit the property and exchange the bags.

“The issue occurred due to a manufacturing malfunction, however Veolia are working closely to rectify the problem.

“We would like to reassure our residents that no one will be disadvantaged due to any error in bag size.

“The correct size of the blue refuse bags are: 400mm (at the bottom of the bag) x 735mm (across the widest part) x 990mm (the height of the bag to the top of the handles).”

There will be an online question and answer session on Wednesday for residents to find out more about the new waste collection service.

Representatives from Wokingham council, Veolia Environmental Services and Recycleband will be answering questions between 6pm and 9pm at www.wokingham.gov.uk/waste-questions

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Most recent user comments 15 of 33

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I am waitiung to see what happens down Barkham Road where many residents bought wheelie bins to keep the foxes from ripping plastic bags to bits spreading rubbish all over the road

helairmike, Wokingham
30/03/2012 at 14:05

Complain by sending an e-mail, or complain by using a black bag.

Ivor Biggun, winnersh
30/03/2012 at 10:51

I hope that everyone that is moaning on here has also made a complaint to Wokingham Council. To make a complaint email: wokinghamdirect@wokingham.gov.uk

Jacqui Williams, UK
30/03/2012 at 10:18

Thats different to what the letter from Veolia says. The letter pushed through my letterbox gives a "0203" london number to call for "advice".

So I have to call up a london telephone number to arrange a bag swap. Why cant they just give us 10 additional bags rather having to go through the charade of swapping rolls over???

Not a good start for Veolia.

mr jolly
28/03/2012 at 15:32

This is certainly an ill-thought scheme by the Council. I can see what they are trying to achieve but this is not the right way. I agree it will cause no end of problems with people putting out the wrong bags, fly tipping etc.

First the bags just being left on doorsteps was a big mistake. Why weren't we made to sign for these? I wonder how many people seized the opportunity to help themselves because their neighbour was away or because they can flog them for a couple of quid? How many dishonest people have claimed not to have received the bags? I know of one who bragged they now have double the amount because they made a phone call and told a fib.

How is it fair that my neighbour who lives alone gets 80 bags and I get the same for my family of 4? Not a fair system.

So flats with communal bins don't get the bags yet I witnessed some flats received them? What a joke.

Now people have been delivered the wrong sized bags - incredulous!

Shaun Allen's comments sum up my feelings too regarding retailers packaging. Plus people need educating on what they can recycle. Do people know that they need to remove lids off bottles or they get rejected?

I hope that Wokingham soon see sense and boycott this hair brained scheme sooner rather than later!

Chicken Legs, Woodley
28/03/2012 at 14:19

The whole idea is a council scam anyways. We already pay for waste removal not we are restricted on how much we can have. As for greens thats another issue. Basically we have to pay for that completely.

So to find out that the bags are small is no surprise from this Council as they havent actually EVER took the time or have sense to think about that they are doing.

Im sure there will be some more hidden surprises. I would be willing to bet the next thing is we are allowed to only recycle so many boxes or even just outright have to pay for it all.

Again well done to the Council on finding a way to cut money and make more money at same time.

I guess the next thing will be to make us pay for the police at same council bill and then reduce the amount of police. Or is it too late for that too.

YoYo-Sindlesham, Sindlesham
28/03/2012 at 10:52

The idea of making us use blue bags was to encourage the use of recycling. So if someone is using two recycly boxes a fortnight but is able to now use just one a week then the increase in recycling is Zero, Zilch a big fat nothing. Council waste and recycling boss Pete Baveystock sems to lack a knowledge of basic maths, more recucling means less waste but also needs more recycling boxes. Otherwise why not just continue with fortnightly collections?

William Richards
27/03/2012 at 13:39

What Matthew S. Dent said.

Damiano_Tommassi, Wokingham
27/03/2012 at 13:29

@Shaun

The lunatics have been in charge for a long time- it's just now that people are noticing.

Matthew S. Dent, Wargrave
27/03/2012 at 13:09

The lunatics have finally taken over the asylum!!

Shaun Allen, Finchampstead
27/03/2012 at 12:54

Opened one of the bags up last night. Unfortunately the tape they put round the bags has ripped the first bag..........This is going to be a disaster for the council. I wonder who will the first to fall on the sword?

Why oh Why oh Why, Reading
27/03/2012 at 08:30

@Ivor,or maybe to take the heat off the removal on the wokingham cctv cameras.i only noticed this whilst queing in the traffic lights in broad street today.how long have they been gone?

right said fred
26/03/2012 at 17:31

I swear this fiasco has been cooked up to take the heat off other gaffes such as the Town Redevelopment, the Station Road 'fix', or the Senna-S chicane now being built at the junction of the Bearwood Road and Sadlers End (for the new Cricket ground).....

Ivor Biggun, winnersh
26/03/2012 at 17:18

Out of 4 of my colleagues covered by this scheme and who all live in different areas, only 1 has received their blue bags ... and its not me. Still, plenty of time yet

JuWoo
26/03/2012 at 17:10

I am still intrigued by the decision to have weekly recycling collections based on Pete Baveystock's comment:

“But I would remind people that because recycling will be collected every week, if you are managing with two boxes now, you may only need one from April 2.”

Surely, this means that a weekly collection will just collect half as much as the fortnightly collection? To me this just seems inefficient and it would make more sense to retain the fortnightly recycling collection and either save money not doing the weekly recycling collections or allocate the vehicles in different ways to make it more efficient.

This scheme is just turning into a PR disaster, but as others have said it does seem to have been poorly conceived with the sole objective of saving money rather than providing a service that residents want, need and deserve.