News

Bid for old bin policy rubbished

By Mike Pyle
August 13, 2010

There will be no return to weekly bin collections in Bracknell despite calls from the coalition Government.

Communities secretary Eric Pickles called for weekly bin collections to be reintroduced but Bracknell Forest Council leader Councillor Paul Bettison says it will not happen here because it would cost the council £7 million a year.

Cllr Bettison said: “We wouldn’t go back.

“The reason we wouldn’t go back, and the reason why just about every council that has changed to alternate bin collections wouldn’t change back, is that people may revert to the amount of recycling that they used to do.

“That would mean we wouldn’t be able to afford the amount of landfill tax we would have to pay.

“It would cost us in the region of £7m per year if we went back to the level of recycling we were at prior to alternate bin collections.”

Bracknell Forest switched to fortnightly bin collections in 2006 with rubbish being collected one week and recycling the next.

The measure had not been popular with everyone but recycling rates have soared.

Communities secretary Eric Pickles wants councils to go back to weekly collections, branding less frequent collections “unpopular and unhygienic”.

But Cllr Bettison claims fortnightly collection is becoming more popular.

He added: “The interesting thing is that since the General Election, a further eight have gone to alternate collections and now a lot more councils do alternate collections than weekly ones.

“We did a survey and 84 per cent of people declared themselves happy or very happy with their bin collections.”

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Strange... I could swear they only take either recycling or rubbish from our flats - not both... I never actually see them emptying the bins but I always based it on the amount of rubbish in them.

CMA
18/08/2010 at 16:10

I looked this up on the website, and it said that "Flats with limited space and large communal bins for waste and recycling still have a weekly refuse collection." So do we need a TWICE weekly collection for flat dwellers? http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/env-abc-faqs.htm

Olds Oak, Finchampstead
17/08/2010 at 10:33

Our recycling bin for our flats is overflowing, 4 days before collection is due. Even without collecting everything, they can't even manage to collect what we do recycle quickly enough

CMA
16/08/2010 at 12:22

Agreed 100% with Sartay!

Brad From-Birch Hill, Bracknell
16/08/2010 at 10:04

I have not problem with recycling or the 2 weekly collections, I understand the costs implications. But I would like glass to be collected and a wider range of plastics.

sartay
16/08/2010 at 09:25

Increasing recycling is essential, the system works.

I have no problem with fortnightly collection of bins, the only thing I would say is that it would be a lot more convenient if we did both bins on the same day every 2 weeks rather than alternate bins every week.

I would like to see more kerbside recycling, glass in particular.

Wiztwas, Binfield
15/08/2010 at 09:59

hhmmm but maybe if bracknell collected everything that could be recycled maybe people wouldnt be complaining,

Elisabeth Mackey
14/08/2010 at 10:35

This confirms yet again that pragmatism and customer service is a low priority for Bracknell Borough Council under the leadership of Paul Bettison. The Borough need to understand that what is right for the policy is invariably wrong for the rate payers and tax payers that provide the funding and salaries for the public sector.