News / rubbish collection
61% of people feel ‘very negative’ about monthly bin collections
More than six out of ten people feel “very negative” about their council changing to collecting rubbish bins once every four weeks.
Sixty-one per cent of the 6,763 adults questioned feel “very negative” and 19 per cent “fairly negative”.
The survey was conducted by YouGov following the announcement by Bristol City Council that they could become the first local authority in the UK to move to monthly black bin collections.
is needed now More than ever
A petition started by Labour group leader Tom Renhard asking the council to reconsider the potential of monthly bin collections has received almost 5,000 signatures.
Renhard said: “The Green Party-led Bristol City Council is currently planning to scrap your bi-weekly bin collection, and instead only collect your black bins once a month…
“Missed collections are already a problem across Bristol. These problems need to be fixed first.
“Under these plans, if someone misses their monthly collection, they will have rubbish in their house for a whole extra month before the next bin collection.
“This could lead to increases in fly-tipping – which is already a scourge across our city.
“Monthly bin collection will have a disproportionate impact on larger families and households.
“As well as this, parents know how quickly new-borns’ nappies fill up their black bins – this especially isn’t workable for them.
“Bristol has the highest recycling rate of the English Core Cities.
“To improve recycling rates further, the council needs to improve the recycling services offered to include additional materials, like nappies and soft plastics, and ensure that all residents that live in flats have an equal opportunity to recycle, which is currently hit and miss.
“Monthly black bin collections won’t work. Let the Green Party know – no to monthly black bin collections.”
Switching to a three-weekly black bin collection is expected to save £1.3m a year, while a four-weekly collection would save £2.3m – photo: Martin Booth
Just under half of the rubbish residents throw away in Bristol is recycled, and council chiefs are hoping to increase this as much of the rubbish in black bins could be recycled.
Bristol’s recycling rate stands at 45 per cent, the highest of the largest cities in England, but this has recently dropped.
Collecting black bins less often could encourage people to recycle more of their rubbish, which would save the council money and help the environment too.
A public consultation has now launched on the potential changes, which will run until March 10.
Green councillor Martin Fodor, chair of the environment policy committee, said: “We have quite a good recycling rate but unfortunately it’s dipped and we also have escalating costs.
“So we need to talk to people about this and hear the views of residents about collections, recycling and what they’d like to see.
“If we can divert more waste to recycling, there’s more income, and that helps fund the service.
“A standstill service isn’t necessarily possible, because it will deteriorate with rising costs.
“We’re giving people a choice: if there was better recycling but less frequent waste collection, we can encourage good behaviour.”
According to council analysis, 40 per cent of the rubbish in the average black bin in Bristol could be recycled.
Just over a quarter of black bin rubbish is food waste, which could be put into brown food bins. Around half of Bristol households don’t use food bins at all, and the average resident throws away £700 worth of food each year.
Main photo: Martin Booth
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