BOURNEMOUTH’S refuse collection crews picked up a staggering 41,000 tonnes of rubbish and 17,000 tonnes of recycling last year, it has been revealed.

New figures also show more than 90 per cent of the borough’s waste is now diverted from landfill for reuse, recycling or energy recovery.

And 88,100 properties are served by just 15 refuse collection crews each week and seven recycling crews every fortnight.

It’s a service we take for granted but it’s run like a military operation from the depot in Southcote Road.

The Daily Echo spent a morning with a crew in Charminster and it quickly became apparent that it’s a tough job not always appreciated by members of the public.

Loaders Tom Corkett and Steve Nichols run the whole route – roughly eight miles long – and see their job as a means of keeping fit as well as a career.

Tom, 21, a keen footballer, and 20-year-old Steve dart on and off the pavement, running along the length of the truck emptying bins and food waste containers as they go.

Driver Mark said: “They probably run the equivalent of a half marathon every day, dragging heavy bins behind them.

“It keeps them very fit so it’s easy to spot the driver. I usually lose weight when I’m on holiday because I’m more active.”

Mark himself could do with about four pairs of eyes as he constantly monitors the area around the vehicle for pedestrians, cars, cyclists and other hazards, not to mention Tom and Steve.

The crew have been together for more than two years and have the utmost trust in each other.

“I know exactly where they’re going to be and when they’re going to be there,” said Mark. “We’re a team.”

Passing motorists weren’t quite so complimentary, getting impatient as they waited for the refuse vehicles to pass.

“The school run is the worst time,” said Mark.

“We get abuse from drivers who then go round us on the pavement which is obviously dangerous.”

Bournemouth’s refuse operations manager, Hamish Greenwood, said bins on main roads are emptied early to avoid rush hour delays.

Crews then move into side streets and do their best to keep out of the way of other road users.

Mark, Tom and Steve were at work at around 5.30am, to leave the depot at 6am, and were due to finish their shift at roughly 1.30pm.

“The hours are great, especially in the summer,” said Mark. “They suit a lot of the younger men who can collect kids from school in the afternoon.”

 

  • The Big Bin Little Bin kerbside service was introduced in 2006 with a weekly refuse collection and fortnightly recycling collection
  • An opt-in, seasonal and free of charge garden waste service was introduced in 2008, which now has 30,790 members and collected 4,739 tonnes last yer.
  •  Food waste collections started in March 2014 and during the first eight months collected 1,605 tonnes of waste. It has generated enough energy to power 132 households and produce 2,157 tonnes of liquid soil improver.