Fortnightly Bin Collections

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Fortnightly Bin Collections

by bacardiancoke @ 2007-08-01 – 01:29:16

So, the BBC has reported on how Councils should reconsider the idea of fortnightly bin collections.

No they shouldn't.

There are rumours of pestilence, plague and many other things, but they are all bollocks.

I remember when my bin collection got changed to fortnightly. I got 2 blue plastic boxes and told that my black bin would be emptied half as often.

I dealt with it.

But, many are claiming that the food waste will cause vermin etc to invade our gardens.

Ok, 2 things.

- It is a wheelie bin with a lid that should close fully. If it doesn't then you are overfilling it.
- Don't waste as much food! Simple. I don't, why should you?

People constantly whinge about certain priviliges etc, but at some point they will also have to make sacrifices, or pay more council tax. This is one of those points; and I pay enough council tax thanks.
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8 Comments on Fortnightly Bin Collections

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- lee954
- 2007-08-01 @ 06:24:40
Now that your bins are only emptied fortnightly, maybe you should be campaigning to be paying less Council Tax since you are getting an inferior service. By the way, my bins are only emptied fortnightly as well, and about half an hour ago I wheeled out the bin into the back alleyway for the binmen and the stench from the bins and piles of rotting rubbish was rather unpleasant, to say the least.
- - bacardiancoke
  - 2007-08-01 @ 10:26:23
  I would if they were simply withdrawing a service.
  
  But, as the councils now have an obligation to try to process as much waste as possible, rather than just shove it in a hole in the ground, and that they need new equipment, and just as many people to run the new system, I don't see how they are spending less.
  
  It might not be ideal, in fact it is nearly always bloody inconvenient for someone, but just like every other situation where we have treated things with a "disposable" mentality, that has now been forced to an end and we have to adapt with it.
  
  Of course there may be better ideas, that I will happily accept: but, the vast majority of people have gone on to whinge without offering any reasonable alternative. If there is a viable and economic alternative to fortnightly collecitons then I'd be all for it though
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- semafu ^Pro
- 2007-08-01 @ 10:22:12
Where do you live? I think that makes a big difference.

I live in Tower Hamlets, people live concentrated (There were once 6 people in the 2 bed next door to me!) that generates waste. The smell can be very bad, maggots etc.

All we would need would be a very hot summer and it would be awful. If you live out of london where people are spaced out maybe it would be ok.

There are plenty of rats around here already (increasing in the last 3 years), every time i leave my house i see one. More rubbish will mean more rats.

I am hoping E14 does not go fortnightly.
- - bacardiancoke
  - 2007-08-01 @ 10:33:17
  When it first happened I was living in Preston City Centre.
  
  It was actually weird, because there was never any big resistance to it.
  
  The only main rules that council imposed were that bin lids must remain closed, with householders receiving fine if left open for rats etc to get in. Their attitude was that they were providing equipment for about 50% of recyclables, so no reason for bins to be overfull after a fortnight.
  
  Worked straight through 2 summers for us and no big problem about strong smells from anyone on our block.
  
  There was a bit of a whinge about potential fines, but then again wouldn't that be the new landfill charge being passed down?
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- lee954
- 2007-08-01 @ 10:51:17
On the continent they seem to think fortnightly bin collections are a bad idea; in most contries bins are emptied several times a week.

As Semafu replied, the efficacy of fortnightly bin collections depends on where you live. If you live in an urban area and have a garden, thus having no use for the fortnightly green bin collection, you are getting a reduced service and should damn well be complaining about it.

Having fortnightly collections of general household wast might be good for re-cycling, but it's bad for public health and probably has a net detrimental effect to the environment as a whole by all the millions of additional car trips to dumpit sides.

I've provided a link to one of my earlier blog postings on the subject, with some interesting questions I posed.

http://doncasterhaikupoet.blog.co.uk/2006/11/13/which_is_the_explanation~1326250
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- lee954
- 2007-08-01 @ 10:52:37
Sorry; I meant to write DON'T HAVE A GARDEN.
- - bacardiancoke
  - 2007-08-01 @ 11:08:01
  I'm not saying that fortnightly bin collections are a holy grail to end land-fill tipping, and I don't have a garden so any and all waste goes in the black bin.
  
  My big issue is that so many people have jumped on the case saying that fortnightly collections are bad, they'll never work etc etc.
  
  People are also under the impression that fortnightly collections cost less (though I can find no evidence for this, but in no rush to submit FOI request to council either)
  
  Even the former PM has stated his preference for weekly collections.
  
  But all have one thing in common - no suggestions for alternatives, other than to go back to weekly collections which would actually cost more.
  
  I have to give credit to council officers (not councillors who do as they're told - kind of a localised Yes Minister) who came up with the schemes to try and keep charges to a minimum in first place.
  
  I have had, and always will have an open mind about bin collections and how the system works, and if someone were to come up with a panacea tomorrow then there'd be no one happier then me.
  
  But in the mean time my council tax is high enough as it is, with expectations of it getting higher still; if trying to keep it down involves watching how much organic waste I get rid of then fair enough.
  
  I am always looking out for that magical answer though
  - - lee954
    - 2007-08-01 @ 11:51:33
    I don't think we need to come up with an alternative to weekly bin collections. Emptying household bins every week works. There was nothing wrong with the system so there was no need to alter it.
    
    The problem is that there is no overall thinking given to the policy, and no one agency has overall authority or responsibility either.
    
    Dealing with the consequences of any outbreak of disease isn't the concern of local government; even though their policies might be causing the problem in the first place. Within local government itself, re-cycling, the problems caused by increased levels of vehicular emissions, finding appropriate sites for landfill and the management and siting of dumpit sites and re-cycling points are often the responsibility of different departments; frequently with conflicting policies and priorities.
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