What’s happening about rubbish collections?
Q. Labour say the Lib Dems are going to scrap weekly collections and have employed expensive consultants, is this true?
A. No.
In February 2006 the then controlling Labour Group passed a budget that relied on Alternate Weekly Collection (AWC) being introduced during 2006 at a proposed saving of £50K.
On taking control the Liberal Democrat/Conservative coalition scrapped this unworkable proposal.
For the next nine months the Labour Group attacked us for scrapping the proposal and losing out on a cost saving.
We increased recycling, and have now met targets for the first time, and have won a £100K grant for recycling promotion and education. We extended the green waste service and introduced some plastic bottle banks.
We brought in government sponsored consultants (WRAP) to advise on the future of the service. This is a free service at NO COST TO THE COUNCIL or the COUNCIL TAX PAYER.
WRAP has produced a report outlining a number of options, these are being considered by an all party working group – 3 Labour members, 3 Lib Dems and 2 Conservatives, chaired by a Labour member. It will consider all the options and visit some councils using various different systems.
Before any changes are made there will be consultation through the Reporter. We have no plans to make changes in the next year.
Q. Why is this service review necessary?
A. For both environmental and financial reasons this country needs to halve the amount of rubbish it produces. We create more rubbish per head than any other country in Europe – equivalent to our own body weight every 7 weeks – and this is not sustainable.
Not enough residents participate in the recycling programme.
All councils have found that the only way to increase recycling much above 30% is to restrict the amount of rubbish that can be put into the black bin.
There are a number of options for achieving this reduction, including emptying the black bin fortnightly, or providing a much smaller bin, still collect it weekly, but refuse to take ‘side waste’ – bags etc beside the bin.
Before any of these options can be introduced, the amount of material going into the black bin must be reduced and more must go for recycling. The material that needs to go for recycling includes plastic, cardboard and garden waste. We also need to provide a recycling service to difficult to reach properties such as flats.
The first priority of this joint administration is to expand the green waste and plastic recycling service, and to introduce cardboard recycling.
Q. Why was the Labour Alternate Weekly Collection proposal unworkable?
A. To change systems requires months of planning. Suitable vehicles and outlets are needed for collection of materials like plastic and cardboard. There was no long term planning and to introduce AWC with a recycling rate of less than 17% would have led to chaos.
Lib Dem Cabinet member with responsibility for Recycling and the Environment.
16th December 2007
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