Recycling disruption caused by inclement weather
Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - 09:38:42
It seems that the UK is wracked by snow and ice for at least one protracted period each year, during which transport networks are chocked up and various public services struggle to operate normally.
While December 2012 and the Christmas period in general was one of the mildest seen for some time, January has become a month of problematic weather conditions for much of the country.
Schools have closed, roads have been rendered impassable and unsurprisingly, a number of councils have also had to delay the usually scheduled collections of recycling.
In fact it seems that in some areas, the collection of standard household waste is being prioritised, with recycling being ignored for the time being, until conditions improve.
This is certainly the case in one region of Shropshire, where the Telford and Wrekin council has ordered the cancellation of recycling collections until further notice.
In a statement, the council confirmed the hiatus and said that it was down to reasons of safety, since icy conditions can make it very dangerous for large trucks to get down residential streets.
While only about 25 per cent of households covered by the council's collections will be impacted, it will doubtlessly be a problem for some.
Materials Recycling World reports that there are many other councils which have encountered similar issues and enacted comparable plans, to halt recycling collections while the weather endures.
The fact that the UK is still ill prepared for snowy circumstances, shows just how unusual this type of weather event is in Britain. We may be getting used to annual inconveniences like this, but it seems like further investment is required to improve our ability to deal with a few inches of frozen water.
Until the weather improves, avid recyclers will either need to find somewhere to store their recyclable waste, or bite the bullet and put it in with general rubbish.
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