A CLEANING company based in Kenilworth – that has expanded to waste collection – is cleaning up since the council’s new bin schedule was introduced.
Business is booming for Bear Cleaning which originally set out as a bin cleaning service for Warwick district in 2017 but has since expanded into collecting rubbish. They even have their own bin lorry.
And the family-run company report that since Warwick District Council (WDC) launched its new 123+ waste disposal schedule – combined with the recent hot temperatures – more and more residents have been turning to them to empty their bins.
WDC recently swopped its fortnightly rotated bin collections for a collection service rotating every three weeks instead.
And according to Kate Hunter, Managering Director of Bear Cleaning, this has proved a particular problem for general waste bins that have become the perfect environment for maggots, bacteria and foul smells in this month’s unprecedented heat.
And instead of waiting for these bins to be collected, an increasing number of people have been paying for Bear Cleaning to collect their waste on the weeks WDC does not collect.
Kate told the Observer: “We continue to offer our bin cleaning service. However, we’ve been overwhelmed with interest in our new waste collection service. It’s no surprise. As a family of five (six including the dog), we recycle everything, and our refuse bin is full at the end of two weeks. The three-weekly waste collection doesn’t work for us, and we’re not alone.”
Bear Cleaning purchased its professional waste disposal truck earlier this year. The 3.5-tonne vehicle was paid for with nearly £60,000 in funding from CWLEP, CWRT, Warwickshire County Council and Coventry City Council.
Once collected, the rubbish is taken to a waste management facility in Coventry, where it’s processed through an incinerator and converted for energy. Nothing goes to landfill.
Kate added: “The need for extra waste collections isn’t a summer thing. We expect people to sign up for our waste collections throughout the year as they realise taking extra bin bags to the tip isn’t how they want to spend their weekends. Dare I even mention the inevitable rubbish we all have over Christmas?”
A spokesperson for WDC admitted the new 123+ scheme was a huge change for the district and had encountered some teething problems in the early weeks, which they apologised for.
They continued: “Once the system has bedded-in we are confident that we can share the collective benefits of the new service, increasing recycling and reducing our carbon footprint by using food waste and other non-recyclables to create renewable energy rather than it going to landfill.
“On average a household in Warwick district pays just 62p per week from their council tax for their kerbside waste and recycling collection,” they added.
