Recycling

I heard an interesting debate on Radio 4 this morning about re-cycling and boy did it open a ‘can of worms’ with listeners. The crux of the matter was that people were all for making the extra effort that sorting stuff out for recycling takes (so no problem there) but what they were unhappy about was:-

• Bins for recycling and non recyclable waste being collected once a fortnight. As many people pointed out, after two weeks their bins stank to high heaven and contained maggots and attracted vermin (nice !).
• Some Councils are issuing more and more receptacles in which to divide waste. We for instance have one large green wheelie bin for cardboard, newspapers etc., a large black wheelie bin for general waste, a glass collection box and a green bag for garden waste. All these are collected on different days of the week, dotted throughout the month, so it’s very easy to forget to put them out.
• One listener to the programme pointed out that she lived in a very small terraced house with no front garden, and a tiny back garden, and her bins take up a huge amount of space. People in flats had similar problems with their estates blighted by row after row of unsightly bins (and the obvious potential for kids to tamper with them)
• Yet more listeners said the bins they were provided with were not big enough and Councils would not take any side-waste without an extra charge (some were charging £6.50 per extra bag!)
• The final moan was about Councils who ask for rubbish to be separated and then are seen pouring it into the same bin lorry – now ‘that’ is terrible!
  
  My own view is that recycling is good and more and more needs to be done. If someone could find a use for more of the plastics that are used (for example that used in ready meal containers, yoghurt pots etc) then the waste in our house would be cut down to next to nothing. However, Councils need to think things through more thoroughly before introducing new schemes – some people’s properties just aren’t suited to accommodating giant wheelie bins and the Councils need to recognise that. I also think that collecting the ‘general waste’ bin once a fortnight, especially during the summer months, is nothing short of disgusting and a real backwards step in a civilised society. Finally, I am very concerned about the ‘rumours’ that are circulating about Councils charging households by ’weight ’ of their rubbish. Are they insane – this will undoubtedly lead to the following in my opinion:-
  
  · More fly tipping
  · People putting their rubbish into other people’s bins (probably in the dead of night)
  · Yet another ‘stealth tax’ on people who already pay huge Council Tax bills