Frequently Asked Questions

 

If the only other councils reaching targets are the ones which use wheelie bins how many of these only collect rubbish fortnightly?

• The answer depends on the target set. Of those achieving levels in excess of 30% all use the wheeled bin with an alternate weekly collection. For interest, some 300+ local authorities in the UK use wheeled bins, and 50% of them have alternate weekly collections. Many more are moving down this route.

If we currently have our rubbish collected weekly and our recyclable rubbish weekly and it works why would it cost £1m to continue collecting it weekly?

• Collection using a wheeled bin is more expensive than the black sack method currently used. It is slower and additional vehicles and crews would be required to undertake weekly collections. Cost will therefore go up.
• However, the current black sack collection method is set to become much more expensive as the cost of landfill tax and charges increases. In other words, in the long run continuing to use the current method would cost much more money. Alternate weekly collection using wheelie bins that increase recycling rates will become the cheaper option.

Where does the additional cost come from?

• Please see above.

What about the threat of council tax increase

• The increase stems from the costs of landfill and the government imposed penalties associated with not removing biodegradable material from the waste stream (£150 per tonne).

What about the smell of the rubbish outside peoples houses?

• If people use their bins sensibly this will not be a problem. There will always be occasions when rubbish smells, whether the container is a wheelie bin or black sack. If you are throwing away something potentially smelly it should be wrapped up in a plastic bag first. Most people find supermarket carrier bags most convenient. These days most carrier bags are also biodegradable.
• If your bin becomes generally dirty or smelly it can also be rinsed out with soapy water. Some people like to do this themselves while others prefer to pay for the service. Wheelie bin liners and deordorisers are also available.

Difficulty of handling large bins?

• Wheeled bins are designed to be easy to handle unlike sacks that need to be lifted and carried. Residents who have difficulty moving the regular sized bin can apply for a smaller one. Residents can also apply for the bin to be collected from inside the boundary of their property if they are unable to move it.

Where to store the bins?

• Most people store their wheelie bin where they would otherwise store full black sacks before collection such as in rear gardens, sideways, or front gardens. Some people have small wooden bin stores. New houses are often built with an integrated bin store. People who do not like the look of their wheelie bin disguise it with trellis and climbing plants. You can also buy vinyl printed sheets to alter the appearance of your bin. Many designs of print are available but be careful not to cover the logo and serial number or your bin may not be emptied.

What happens when the bins are full up several days or even a week before collection day

• If people recycle everything which can be, more than half of all waste will be removed from the residual waste. This being the case, bins (which have the capacity of several sacks) should last for 14 days between collections. If larger families genuinely have problems we will, following a visit and discussion, consider a larger or additional bin.

What is the collection facility for the recycling of plastics?

• Plastics are collected from the doorstep in the clear dry-recyclable refuse sacks, although plastic bottle lids are not suitable for recycling and should go in your wheelie bin. If possible, squeeze your recyclable plastic bottles flat to take up less space.

Concern from the elderly about how they are going to cope with the changes

• We will do everything we can to help, and exempted collections will remain in place. No elderly or disabled person should find the new refuse collection arrangements more difficult than the old black sack system.

The young men who collect the sacks at the moment do a very good job. Why change a winning formula?

• They will continue to do a difficult job well. The bins are actually much safer for the men than the sacks. The changes are absolutely necessary if we are to increase recycling levels significantly.
• We should not lose sight of the fact that the changes to refuse disposal are not driven by money or convenience. They are driven by the pressing environmental need to find an alternative to landfill. If people are not prepared to adapt their habits and life-styles then the alternatives are either to adopt a much less popular method of disposal such as incineration or accept the long-term damage to the environment that will be the legacy we hand down to our children and generations to come.

As a partially disabled pensioner, if given a wheelie bin it would be kept at the rear of my premises, but I would not attempt to drag it out to the front near the road for it to be emptied. I would not attempt to wash out one of these bins

• If a person with a disability is unable to put the bin out for collection they will be able to apply for an exemption. The bins move very easily and elderly people throughout the UK manage them perfectly well. Washing them out will not be necessary if food waste etc is wrapped prior to disposal.

What about terraced houses and flats with no access to the rear?

• Flats will continue with sacks for now, but we are looking at alternatives. In some circumstances terraced houses will also be considered for sacks if there is nowhere practical to store a wheelie bin.

Bins are an eyesore!

• This is somewhat subjective, since sacks littering the streets days ahead of collection are both an eyesore and a hazard. It could also be argued that by increasing the amount of recycling we do, huge landfill sites that cause eyesores visible from great distances will become a thing of the past.
• There are many ways to disguise and improve the appearance of your wheelie bin so that it fits into your environment. See above for details.

Stuck with refuse that cannot be recycled for two weeks rather than one

• This may cause a degree of inconvenience for some people but has to be weighed in the balance against the huge environmental advantages the increase in recycling overall will bring.

Theydon Bois has won the best kept mid-sized village of the year but with the introduction of wheelie bins we can forget ever winning that again

• Some of the most attractive areas of the country from York and Cumbria in the North to Windsor and Maidenhead in the South use wheelie bins.

It does not facilitate more recycling as the rubbish will just go in a bin instead of a bag

• This is missing the point. The wheelie bin in conjunction with the recycling boxes and bags will enable people to separate their refuse into recyclable and non-recyclable parts. We will only collect residual waste in the wheeled bin so as to ensure that all recyclable materials are kept out for separate collection.

If degradable sacks were used then it would not be so environmentally unsound

• This also misses the point. The issue here is about both recycling & reducing waste going to landfill. It is impossible to control residual waste put out in sacks.

Waste can still be placed in a sack before being put into the bin, surely this defeats the objective

• No it doesn’t and this is a personal choice. The objective is to control the volume of residual waste. The issue of sacks related to their presence on the streets, not in the bins.

In the summer rubbish not collected for two weeks will ferment whatever way it is wrapped

• If it is the bin it will be of no consequence, even if it did. Close fitting lids prevent access by flies etc and if people wrap food waste etc, there will be nothing to attract the flies. The bins are vermin proof.

It will be a physical impossibility for the frail, elderly or disabled to wash out the bins, we would like to know who qualified for an exemption from the scheme

• People are not exempted from the scheme. The exemption relates to putting the bin out at the boundary of the property. If you use plastic bags to contain your waste before putting it in the bin it should never need to be cleaned.

Who will take the surplus rubbish that will not fit inside the bin

• If you have a genuine need for a larger bin, for example if you have a large family, you can apply to be assessed by the Council. However, if you recycle as much of your waste as possible, the capacity of the standard bin should be enough for all but the most exceptional households.

This will encourage fly-tipping and prove very unhygienic as rubbish will be dumped

• The introduction of these arrangements should not encourage fly-tipping. The Council will still remove the refuse its collected under the old system. It will just collect it in a different way. Responsible citizens will hopefully understand the reasons for the change and behave accordingly. A change in collection process is no excuse for anti-social and illegal behaviour. If domestic rubbish is dumped, and evidence of the owner determined, the Council will prosecute.

Those who are unable to take their rubbish to the local tip will have no way of disposing it

• See earlier answer on recycling as fully as possible.

Cause inconvenience to the vast majority of local residents

• EFDC is not unique, and with 300+ authorities using the wheeled bin, including mixed urban and rural authorities such as ours, why shouldn’t it work here as well? In fact there is a brisk private trade in wheelie bin sales to people who actually find them much more useful and convenient than sacks.

The council’s plans as bringing in a poorer service whilst opening the way to environmental problems with decaying waste, increased fly-tipping and unsightly neighbourhoods

• The introduction of these new arrangements and increased recycling are a direct result of our need to tackle major environmental problems that already exist. Residents will still have a weekly collection of waste, so there is no service reduction. If residents behave sensibly and understand the issues, there should be no wider environmental impacts.

It will be unhealthy

• There is no basis for this suggestion. Wheelie bins are a much safer and more secure means of storing residual waste than sacks until it is collected for disposal.

What is wrong with black sacks that we all understand perfectly well how to use?

• We have to change to meet targets, remove material from landfill and avoid penalties. We cannot do this by continuing with a sack based collection.

The residents are angry that the decision to bring in wheelie bins was taken without public consultation

• This point is understood, but there are occasions when Councils have to make difficult decisions, irrespective of how some residents may feel. It has been suggested that the Council has not listened to residents when deciding to introduce the new scheme. The Council has listened to residents and will continue to do so. However, in these circumstances we must also listen to others such as the government and environmental scientists who tell us that our environment is being damaged and we must change the way we live if we are to save it for future generations.

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