A campaign to save weekly bin collections in Walsall has been launched as borough council chiefs consider switching to a fortnightly pick-up.
It was revealed on Wednesday that the bin collection service will change and people are being asked to choose one of two options. They can either opt for collection once a fortnight of their 240 litre bin or keep the weekly service but downsize to a 140 litre bin.
Councillor Pete Smith has accused Walsall Council of tricking taxpayers and failing to offer them any real choice. He is behind the campaign to save both the weekly pick-up and the current, large wheelie bins.
A questionnaire has been sent out by the council to 5,000 households and a further 2,000 people will be quizzed on their doorstep.
It follows an assurance by the authority just six weeks ago that the weekly service was safe.
Councillor Smith, ward member for Blakenall, is calling on people across the borough to join the campaign before they lose an important service, paid for out of their council tax.
He is raising a petition and hopes to add thousands of signatures. The public consultation closes on August 24 and the results will go before Cabinet in September.
13 Comments
Peter Smith is “Right on the money”
This is no real choice, once a fortnight or half as much weekly. I dread to think what Fishley Lane, Bloxwich will look like if this goes through. This is an invitation for more fly tipping.
George
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What’s the obsession with keeping weekly collections?
The important thing is to reduce the amount of rubbish thrown away to landfill - and by the way, landfill costs taxpayers money in landfill tax which is going up. Recycling needs to be increased dramatically to reduce landfill and make better use of resources. Unfortunately people seem unprepared to recycle more when they have weekly collections. 19 of the 20 councils with the highest recycling rates operate fortnightly collections.
Lichfield has had fortnightly collections - but with weekly recycling collections - for years, and it works fantastically well. Lichfield also has the country’s highest recycling rates where almost half of rubbish is recycled.
People produce rubbish, councils don’t. Its about time people took responsibility for the waste they produce.
There are far more important issues to campaign about than keeping a weekly bin collection.
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We have fortnightly collections in Lichfield and it works well, provided that householders play their part by recycling as much as possible those packaging items that can be recycled. Most times on collection day, our black bin is less than a third full and we are just a mormal familly!
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Here, Here I live in Walsall and have a normal family - 2 adults and 2 children and since we have been recycling our normal rubbish has fallen to about 1/3 - half of the normal - in fact as we are on holiday next week our bin wont be emptied for 3 weeks buit will not be a problem - neither has it smelt.
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I’m sorry- but we are a family of five and would struggle with either proposal.
The council is offering cardboard and plastic recycling to sit alongside the new proposal and this may make it workable.
I would just like to see manufacturers targetted for excessive packaging rather than the focus on the individual and the threat of punishment for not complying.
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If they want us to recycle more then why not provide us with the proper facilities to do so? I live in walsall and i have a green box for paper and glass but what about plastic and cardboard and other recycleable items? I’m all for recycling but they need to bring a system into place where we don’t have 20 boxes for one thing and another soemthing that will be easy to store like those stackable boxes to put paper/cardbaord in one, plastic/glass in another and tins in another one, not sure if people will agree with this but surely it’ll be easier than all this.
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Well said simon,
Manufacturers have to make their product look better than the competitor, but at what cost?
More to the point though, if you all have to endure fortnightly collections, have you all had a reduction to compensate because the council is not working as hard. ????
I think not……………..
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my bin gets full way before the bin men are due now, we are a family of 5 and there is no way that i can have my bin emptyed every 2 weeks i do recycle but as for the green boxs there no good at all and i have but mine out on a number of times just to have silly little kids think its good to tip them up every wear what about all these shops do they do all there recycleing ?????????
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Reducing the number of collections is a simple solution to save money, not the planet.
‘2 week’ collections are going to be a complete disaster in regards to the environment.
So reducing collections will force people to recycle more will it? And in the process everyone will have piles upon piles of rotting rubbish outside their homes and in the street, waiting to be taken away because some twit reduced the number of collections.
Fly tipping will increase, its all about human nature.
Has the council considered the rat problem at all? Yes probably, but they’ll let it happen regardless and then we’ll have another council tax hike to help fight the problem. Ridiculous.
Encourage people to recycle. Reward people who recycle.
Should I stand for council?
D.
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Dave Philips:
Reducing the number of collections doesn’t necessarily save money. Councils have to pay landfill tax on what they send to landfill - they pay that using your council tax. The amount going to landfill is ever-increasing, and at the same time landfill tax is also going up. If the status quo is maintained, you’ll have to pay more council tax. Something needs to be done to reduce landfill. People need to take individual responsibility for the rubbish they produce and not shift the blame to others (although I don’t disagree with comments re excessive packaging, but there’s still plenty individuals can do to reduce waste).
Fortnightly collections do increase recycling rates: 19 out of 20 councils with the highest recycling rates have fortnightly collections.
Rat problem - I’d like to see a rat get into a fully closed wheelie bin.
Lichfield (and lots of other areas) have had fortnightly collections for ages. There isn’t a public health problem. Fly tipping has not got worse.
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Dominic
A rat may not get in to a closed wheelie bin but will access any tied bin liners lying alongside the bin which have been put there as a result of the bin being full.
I still say that we should target the manufacturers and insist on recycling facilities for cardboard and plastic- this will certainly help.
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We are a family of 5 aswell and our rubbish is bad enough as it is, but thats the council for you,well paid worker’s and do as little as possible!
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There shouldn’t be any need to fill more than a wheelie bin in the space of a fortnight if you’re recycling/composting what you can!!!
If fortnightly collections mean that people have to modify their lifestyle (i.e. recycle more, think about what they’re consuming, and throwing away) then that’s what they’ll have to do. There simply isn’t any need to chuck so much away. Yes, manufacturers need to reduce packaging, but there’s also an element of individual responsibility - for example, people could buy less ready meals, and cook more from fresh ingredients which results in less waste.
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