With news on: Cheltenham considers three-weekly collection; Oxfordshire councils to refuse opaque bags in recycling, and; Leicester consults on charge for bulky and DIY wastes.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Cheltenham considers three-weekly residual waste collection
Cheltenham borough is calling for views from residents on the potential for changes to its waste and recycling service, including a potential switch to a three-weekly residual waste collection scheme.
Cheltenham current has a fortnightly waste and green box recycling collection
A consultation has been launched exploring a range of options for the future of the waste and recycling service in the town – following an earlier call for views on the service in July 2016.
The council has proposed three options; option A keeps the current fortnightly waste and green box recycling collection, option B is a three-weekly refuse collection with weekly recycling collection, and option C is no change to fortnightly collection with an additional wheeled bin for recycling. All three options would keep a weekly separate food waste and subscription-based garden waste service.
Councillor Chris Coleman, Cheltenham’s cabinet member for the Environment said that he did not support a move to a three-weekly refuse service, but said that the move is likely to represent the cheapest of the tree options.
He said: “For a number of years, the government has cut the amount of money that it gives to Cheltenham Borough Council and this directly affects the services that the council can provide. Because of this, you will see that one of the three options we are consulting on is the possibility of moving to 3 weekly collections of landfill waste.
“I do not personally support a move to three weekly refuse collections however, as it is by far the cheapest option, it makes sense to include it in the consultation. I want to make it very clear that we would not move to this option without significant support from Cheltenham’s residents.”
A final decision is planned by December 2016.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Oxfordshire councils to crack down on contamination
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils are cracking down on contamination in commingled recycling – informing residents that material will only be collected if presented loose or in clear sacks.
A commingled recycling bin presented for collection in Vale of White Horse
The move follows a recent campaign to raise awareness of contamination, after the councils had found that some households were placing food waste and dirty nappies in amongst recyclable materials.
The councils have claimed that when presented in black or coloured sacks, these items are often not spotted by collection crews. As such, the councils have said that from November, they will not be collecting material presented for recycling in coloured sacks.
Councillor Tony Harbour, cabinet member for waste at South Oxfordshire district council, said: “Contaminated recycling has become a real issue that we have to tackle. Insisting on loose recycling or clear sacks is a simple change that will make a big difference – and most people won’t be affected.”
Councillor Charlotte Dickson, cabinet member for waste at Vale of White Horse district council, said: “Throughout October we’ll leave a note on any bins with the wrong colour sack in it to explain the problem – we’ll empty the bin on that occasion, but from November we’ll then have to start leaving them unemptied to help us protect everybody else’s recycling from getting contaminated.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Leicester consults on charge for bulky and DIY waste
Leicester city council is seeking views on proposals to introduce charges for bulky waste collections and the disposal of household DIY waste.
Currently, households in the city can request a free bulky waste kerbside collection up to five items and up to 15 bags of garden waste, once every two months. Extra collections are offered at a charge of £15 up to 15 items, or £50 for 16 to 30 items.
Approximately 36,000 bulky waste collections are carried out a year, costing the council around £360,000. With continued pressure on budgets, the council is proposing to end the free service.
And, charges could be introduced for depositing DIY waste at either of the city’s two HWRCs. Last year, over 8,500 tonnes of plasterboard, rubble and wood was deposited, costing the council around £200,000.
The issue of DIY waste charging at HWRCs has been in particular focus across the country in recent weeks – with the government’s Department for Communities and Local Government stating that it does not deem DIY waste from households to be eligible for charges at HWRCs. Despite this, a number of local authorities have sought to charge for the receipt of the material.
Cllr Adam Clarke, assistant city mayor for energy and sustainability, said: “The financial pressure on local councils is severe and we need to look hard at all areas to see where further savings can be made.
He added: “We know that these services are valued and well-used, and it is important that we consult fully before introducing any changes.”
A consultation on the proposals runs until Sunday, 27 November.
The post Local authority news round-up (18/10/2016) appeared first on letsrecycle.com.
Source: letsrecycle.com General
