Bin collection company apologises to Eastbourne residents

Hundreds of householders across Eastbourne did not have their recycling collected for weeks.

Contractors Kier and Eastbourne council have both apologised for what has been described as a ‘recycling fiasco’ over the festive period.

Kier says it was due to an error on the collection calendars and extra crews had been deployed.

Up to 60 streets across the borough, from Myrtle Road off Seaside to Silverdale Road in Meads, did not have a collection between mid-December and this week, with bins overflowing with recyclable items.

Both Kier and the council say all those residents affected should have had their recycling collected by the end of the week as extra collections were made.

Eastbourne council, which pays Kier to operate the waste collection and recycling service, had strong words for the contractor.

“Kier has been left in no doubt about our great concern and disappointment with the Christmas and New Year recycling collection service,” said a council spokesperson. We have brought in additional vehicles to assist with the collections this week and that work is on-going. The contract with Kier is coming to an end. From July 1 2019 a new company, under the direct control of the council, will carry out waste and recycling collections in Eastbourne. We would like to apologise to the residents who been affected.”

Terry Davies from Meads said his recycling bin was piling up for more than three weeks. “Overflowing isn’t the word for it,” said Mr Davies, 72, of Saffrons Park. “It’s a recycling fiasco. At the busiest time of year, how are people expected to cope with four weeks’ worth of recycling?”

A Kier spokesperson said, “We would like to take this opportunity to apologise to the residents of Eastbourne for the recent error with regards to their collection calendars which has impacted recycling collections. It does not fall in line with our usual high levels of service and we are doing everything we can to rectify this error this week.”

“We are committed to serving the residents of East Sussex and to rectify this issue we have deployed additional resource. We are confident these measures will have a quick and positive impact on the recycling collections for the residents of Eastbourne.”