COUNCIL chiefs at Warrington will be asked next week to accept the need – due to budgetary pressures – to switch to fortnightly black bin collections.
The council would switch to “alternate weekly collections” – which means the black bin would be collected one week and the blue bin the next.Members of the council’s executive board will be asked to accept the need for the changes at a meeting on Monday and also to see the views of the public.
The issue would then be the subject of a further report at the February meeting of the board.
Cllr David Keane (picture), executive member for environment and public protection, in a report to the board, says savings of about £900,000 would be achieved by the change.
There would not be any redundancies in front-line waste collection services.
Alternate weekly collections have been operated in the UK for many years. Recently, neighbouring Wigan Borough Council, made the change.
Council officers believe there would be other significant environmental improvements arising from the change.
More than 3,000 additional tonnes of waste would be diverted into recycling, bringing in additional revenue and waste disposal savings.
There would be more than 900 tonnes of waste reduction as householders began to shop different, buying goods with less packaging.
An extra 450 tonnes of green waste would be diverted into green bin composting.
Fewer vehicles would be needed to collect waste, resulting in a saving of 82,000 litres of diesel a year and an annual saving of 259 tonnes in CO2 emissions.
Changes in the waste collection service would be likely to make householders think differently about home composting and the use of re-usable nappies.
Meanwhile, the borough council has issued details of the black bin collection service over the Christmas and New Year period.
Bins normally collected on Tuesdays will be collected on Thursday, December 27, Wednesday, January 2 and Tuesday January 8.
Those normally collected on a Wednesday will be collected on Friday, December 28, Thursday, January 3 and Wednesday January 9.
Bins normally collected on a Thursday will be collected on Thursday, December 27, Friday January 4 and Thursday January 10
Those normally collected on a Friday will will be collected on Friday, December 28, Saturday, January 5 and Friday January 11.
Blue bin collections will be suspended between Christmas and the New Year.
Stickers will be appearing on black bins soon with further information.
In the event of snow or other extreme weather, details of any changes will be posted on the council’s website
Bin collections to go fortnightly?
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That is pathetic. The bin collection should stay weekly. If they go to fortnightly does that mean our Council Tax will be reduced accordingly? Somehow I think not and we will still see an increase in that come April. I hate to think of the impact generally on the environment with overflowing bins and rubbish bags – not everyone has cars to take their additional rubbish to the tip.
I can not believe the council is suspending the blue bin collection over Christmas – with all the presents and parties it is the one which is going to be most in use!
Totally unbelieveable!
The worst part of this story is the suspension of the blue bins over Christmas and the new year just when you’re likely to have more recyclable waste. It just encourages people to put it in the normal bin just to get rid of it. It’s just stupid!
Has anyone ever read a pronouncement from the council that actually makes sense. A reduction of fifty percent in a service yet no redundancies, are these bin men going to sit in their vehicles for half a week? Whoever decided to stop blue bin collections over Christmas should be dismissed for incompetence.
Caz, of course there won’t be a reduction in Council Tax , if there was there wouldn’t be any savings. Don’t forget we are all in it together, apart from councillors that is. Dump half of them and we wouldn’t notice the difference.
Quite agree with you there Victor. A fornighlty collection may help encourage those lazy ones who can’t even be bothered recycling when a bin is provided for them – the number of houses where you only see the black bin being put out. I suspect that those who shout loudest will be those who can’t be bothered putting their brain in gear for a second and using the blue bin. I have lived places with a fortnightly collection and with no problems. Yes, the weekly collection has been around a long time but the bins we had when I was a kid were AT MOST half the size of the wheelie bins we us now. An awful lot of the extra rubbish consists of bottles, jars and other packaging, newspapers, junk mail etc. that can ve recycled.
Maybe the under utilized bin men can sweep the streets, clean up fallen leaves (which are currently a huge slip hazard), pick up litter and cigarette ends that has been tossed from cars by filthy inconsiderate motorists. Still plenty of clean up jobs that need to be done!
Agree Blue bin suspension over Christmas is crazy as that is the one that gets filled up most by me anyway.Cans, bottles, paper, drinks cans, cartons, plastic bottles..etc. etc..
Who thought this no-brainer up? The Bridge boys?
AS above, Xmas and packaging go hand in hand.
As for shopping for stuff with less packaging, are these people on cannabis? You buy what you need regardless of the packaging.
Get a grip people, Think of families, NOT single occupiers. Duh!!!!
if you recycle properly and fold boxes etc I cant believe anyone can FILL a blue bin in one week -unless they are buying far too much packaging.
As for the black bins – who does fill it within a week -obviuolsy those who buy too much and waste too much.
I’m only one person household but my black bin is no where near full in a fortnight and people just put it out weekly because they see the flashing yellow lights -not because it wants emptying!
And will the council provide a free service to get rid of vermin (e.g. rats) during hot weather when food is rotting in the bins?
Graplad, you answered your own question, your a single occupant. It`s a totally different scenario for a family of four.
All Councils have a statutory duty under the Prevention of Damage by Pest Act 1949 to control vermin within the Authority’s area and to make sure owners of property comply with this Act. Anyone with an infestation of rodents on their land must also contact their Local Council to report it. So under normal circumstances the control of vermin on private land is the responsibility of the owner, and if it on council owned land or property it is the responsibility of the Council. If WBC does introduce a fortnightly service, and there is a substantial rise in the vermin population, then I think it would be reasonable for WBC to pay all extermination costs at least in the first year and if clearly the costs outweigh the savings then a weekly service should be resumed, if not for the whole year, then at least at those times when such infestation is prevalent. From research that I have read, it seems that so long as waste is properly contained within the bin, and its lid is closed, and that side waste is not left out, then there is no increase in the rodent population as a result of a fortnightly service.
We’re a family and a half full black bin is rare – usually far less – but then we do use blue bin, many people apparently can’t be bothered . It is sheer madness suspending the collection of recycled material in December
Do you really think food in a sealed bin is likely to attract rodents – the litter, including leftover takeaway food that people drop in the street is more likely to do that (I rather suspect that there is a correlation between people who litter and those who fail to use their blue bin)
But what about the blue bins!?
I thought that the government had gave the local governments monies
To return or stay as weekly collections??
I thought councillors were elected to serve the community but it seems they now want to dictate to us how we should live our lives. You have no right to attempt to change the way we think, what we buy and what we eat or to remove services that many rely on. I don’t want a compost heap in my garden thank you very much or an incinerator, I’d just like my bin emptying for the money that you take from me.