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Sita v Kerbside: Battle lines drawn in 'kerb war'
CALDERDALE'S "kerb wars" have kicked off with recycling companies competing to collect cans, glass, textiles and paper.
Yesterday, the battleground centred on the Skircoat area of Halifax and today switched to the Calder Valley.
Sita is now responsible for collecting recyclables from all 90,000 homes in Calderdale but has yet to distribute its own collection boxes to 25,000 properties between Todmorden and Halifax. Instead, it has asked residents to use "any suitable bag or bags" and to leave them on the kerb.
"There is no doubt that staff working for Sita UK have been taking recyclable materials that have been left out for us," said the chief executive of Kerbside Calderdale, Paul Brannigan.
But Sita says Kerbside boxes will not be touched. The main problem is with items left out for collection in plastic bags, which do not have a Sita or Kerbside logo.
The Community Recycling Network accused councillors of "ignoring" Government guidance on getting services from the social sector.
The network is the national umbrella organisation for community-based recycling.
Chairwoman Lucy Danger said: "Kerbside's workers have a stake in the service and a commitment to it which money can't buy – I'm not surprised they don't want to work for Sita, and for all its protestations, Sita hasn't offered a deal any self-respecting community business could accept."
A Sita spokeswoman said: "Our workers were instructed to take any material left on the kerbside in carrier bags but that the Kerbside Calderdale boxes were not to be touched.
"Householders should be receiving green Sita recycling boxes in the next couple of weeks and leaflet explaining how to use them."
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Weather for Halifax
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light sleet
Temperature: 0 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Light sleet showers
Temperature: -0 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
