Tonbridge: Household recycling destined for incinerator

Recycling that is left out for collection in a Kent district will be burned alongside general waste due to a shortage of refuse lorry drivers.

Residents in Tonbridge and Malling have been told recycling left for refuse collectors will be incinerated.

The council has urged 50,000 households to visit public recycling points until normal collections resume.

Collections should be back to normal "within the next two weeks," the local authority said.

Resident Nicky McGregor said: "Most people are putting all their recycling out and its just going to be burnt.

"All of that time we've spent separating everything and carefully trying to look after the planet, just up in smoke."

Green Party councillor Mark Hood said: "Recycling rates have been excellent up until now, and now it's falling apart and we want to know why."

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council apologised to residents and said its contractor Urbaser had been "particularly hard hit by the national shortage of HGV drivers".

Meanwhile, Urbaser staff working in neighbouring Tunbridge Wells have faced disciplinary action after being repeatedly caught on hidden cameras throwing recycling in with general waste.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council said Urbaser had investigated and "disciplinary action has been taken against employees who are found to be mixing materials that should not be mixed".

In Tonbridge and Malling, the council said new drivers were due to start shortly, adding: "We anticipate this will help clear the backlog of bins and see normal service restored within the next two weeks."

Urbaser, which holds contracts for more than a dozen local authorities across England, has been contacted for comment.

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