Refuse-collection Methods in a London Borough
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The Problems of Bermondsey and How They are Tackled by a Fleet of Dennis Vehicles
TN connection with the collection and 'disposal of domestic, trade and market refuse in Bermondsey, the borough council uses a number of D:-.mnis motor vehicles, 15 machines being allocated to house-refuse work and two to market and trade-refuse collection, extra lowloaders being engaged when traderefuse requirements are abnormal.
The council is go-ahead in dealing with refuse problems, and the horsedrawn, open-van system of house-refuse collection was superseded in 1929 by motors, and the only horse-drawn vehicle now in operation deals with egg-refuse collection, a feature confined practically to this borough. The egg refuse is collected in sealed bins and transported to the chute in a covered ran.
The borough is divided into 15 different areas and worked on the continuous loading system. With the exception of the area contiguous to the
City of London, in which a daily collection is made, the whole of the borough is qeared hi-weekly. The motors work in pairs with four loaders. The first low-loader leaves the depot at 7.30 a.m., and the second motor half-an-hour later. When the second motor arrives in its particular area to commence work, the first vehicle is loaded, and whilst the latter is on its way to the disposal works to discharge, the second vehicle is being loaded. This system of loading continues until the area is completely cleared.
The number of bins per area (except in that section adjacent to the City of London, which comprises offices, provision warehouses and business premises), Is approximately an average of 890, and all industrial dwellings are cleared by the loaders in their respective areas. The type of Dennis low-loader employed is shown in accompanying illustrations. It has a capacity of 6 cubic yds., and, to a very large extent, it enables the work to he done by direct emptying — cul-desacs, narrow allies, etc., are rapidly disappearing in the borough owing to the extensive housingscheme improve ments undertaken by the council during the past two or three years. The two Dennis vehicles dealing with trade refuse work from 7.30 a.m. to approximately 11 a.m., after which, with two loaders, they proceed to the market places for the rest of the day, clearing and disposing of four loads. Trade refuse is dealt with (a) by load, (b) by a basket system for business premises, where small quantities are made. These basket collections are dealt with by the loaders when clearing refuse from dwelling houses. The whole of the work is done by direct labour.
The quantity of refuse collected during the past year was as follows :— house refuse, 12,369 loads, 24,756 tons; trade refuse, 3,287 loads, 3,656 tons: street market refuse, 911 loads, 14,009 tons, all of it being disposed of by barge.