COMMUNITY SKIPS Get rid of your unwanted items

Sofa-r, so good!

Community skips returned for 2021, carrying away 35 tonnes of unwanted items – that’s the equivalent of a humpback whale – over the summer!

To make the most of each stop, a giant refuse truck which can take bigger items like sofas and mattresses replaced the classic yellow skips this year.

Brent’s Neighbourhood Managers arranged for an event in each of the borough’s 21 wards, giving everyone a zero-cost option for disposing of up to five bulky heavy-duty items, legally and easily.

Team members from council contractor Veolia were on hand to sift through items, separating them into things to be reused, recycled or repurposed. Anything that wasn’t repurposed was loaded onto the refuse truck to be compacted and transferred to a renewable energy site.

Cllr Krupa Sheth, Cabinet Member for Environment, said, “We’ve had a fantastic response to our community skips and I’m delighted so many residents were able to take advantage. It’s just one of the ways we’re working to stamp out illegal rubbish dumping.”

More skips are planned for later in the year – for the latest dates, check www. brent.gov.uk/communityskips

Extra cash will go towards illegal rubbish dumping rapid response teams to clear and gather evidence, which may help catch the culprits.

WANTED! The campaign to catch dumpers

Brent Council’s WANTED! campaign calls on eagle-eyed residents to report illegal rubbish dumpers who are spoiling streets for everyone else. Where dumpers are caught on camera, enforcement teams have been using flyers and posters to try and locate the culprit. If you witness any incident, record as much information as possible such as the time, location and date of the incident, vehicle type and registration, and description of the person committing the offence. Wherever possible take photos, but never approach those responsible or put yourself at risk. You can report the incident anonymously at waste. enforcement@brent.gov.uk or on 020 8937 4994.

We’ve had a fantastic response to the community skip scheme this ‘‘ year, with so many of our residents taking advantage of the opportunity to get rid of unwanted items‘‘

Cllr Krupa Sheth, Cabinet Member for Environment