I think fly-tipping has got worse recently, I don't know why, but practically every street I walk down in Forest Hill has a pile of rubbish left on the pavement. I've also had rubbish dumped outside my house (most recently, a dirty old pedal bin, delightful....).
(And yes, I do report the fly-tips on my local streets, but it would be a full-time job to do every one I drive past!). There is a massive pile of rubbish including an old rusty bed on Stanstead Road near the junction with Cranston Road that has been there ages and looks quite dangerous. It must make going along the pavement for anyone with wheelchairs/buggies/visual impairment quite a challenge. Plus it all makes the area look so shabby. Also one piece of rubbish gets dumped and its like an open invitation for more and more to get dumped there. Would it be too much for the Council to have a van drive round once a week and pick up fly-tipping?
Also I think they should improve local recycling facilities for getting rid of things like small electricals, batteries, lightbulbs, textiles etc. It is a confusing system so no wonder people dump stuff. I use the waste recycling containers at Sainsburys in Sydenham, but often they are completely full and surrounded by rubbish.

A lot of people don't have cars in London, so its not practical to recommend everyone goes to the Landmann way site. I know the Council operate a large item collection service but they won't take everything. So what are people supposed to do if they don't have a car but have a large item that the Council won't collect? (e.g fence panels, doors). Yes - they dump it....

Batteries - according to the Lewisham website you have to contact the council for a battery bag - so why not provide one to every household anyway? There are battery bins around but they often seem to get moved, one week it's there, the next it is gone, the one at Sainsburys in Sydenham is never open.

Small Electricals is another issue - according to the Council website there isn't a small electrical recycling point in SE23, you have to go to Catford or Sydenham. Why not have one in SE23? I thought there used to be one at Sainsburys in Forest Hill?
http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/wa...hones.aspx

I am quite a conscientious recycler, and if I find it a hassle, then no wonder a lot of people don't bother.

As for the bins - my grey bin is usually only half full, so every other week would be OK for us if they were collecting food waste weekly. Our recyling bin is always completely full so that would definitely have to be collected every week. (Family of 5, but we have a compost bin in the garden which I am aware is not an option for a lot of people and have just ordered a brown bin).

So my overall verdict - every other week is OK for us but they need to do more to address fly-tipping and local recycling facilities.