1/6/2007

Your Letters

Alternate week bin collections trial is an ordeal

I know your pages have been full of alternate bin collection complaints, but I am in the trial area and was a believer in alternate bin collection until I had experienced it first hand. I urge all other residents experiencing problems to write to the council now. Don’t wait for its questionnaire, which I am sure will try to manipulate the results

What a struggle the last four months have been. Before the trial, I was a supporter of any measure to increase recycling, but now I am a firm believer that alternate collection is not the way to go.

In our household, we do everything possible to recycle. We have two separate bins in the kitchen. We have three of the green waste collection bags (at additional cost) and I also have a large garden compost bin for other kitchen/garden waste.

We are a family of six and we have been issued with the maximum-size blue and green bins. We fill both blue and green bins virtually weekly and yet still we have waste left over.

After several weeks of the trial, I left an additional black bin bag next to the green bin, but it was not collected. All I got was a sticker on it saying I could not leave additional sacks.

On the following Friday afternoon I then went to the local waste depot in Farnborough by car to dump what was by then several additional bags at the waste disposal site and spent close to 40 minutes in the queue of cars to dump several bags. How environmentally friendly is that?

I have had to repeat this exercise several times since due to the unacceptable build-up of additional rubbish, and every time at weekends the queues are atrocious. I work full-time so weekdays are not possible for me.

Two weeks ago I went to the Rectory Road bottle/clothing bank to dispose of additional glass bottles that were too much for the blue glass bin provided.

Here, I noticed the illegal flytipping of garden waste, old garden furniture and other sundry waste items next to the clothing bank.

It is hardly surprising residents are resorting to dumping excess rubbish where they think they can get away with it if they are experiencing similar problems to me.

The lack of early investment by the council to be able to accept all types of recyclable material is exacerbating the problem and, although I am well aware of what can and cannot be recycled in Rushmoor at present, I hope this will change as additional facilities are added.

I still believe most people are very confused over various types of plastics, milk cartons, yoghurt cartons wax paper cartons, polystyrene etc. all marked with the “recycle” logo. They can be recycled but not in Rushmoor.

The problem of flies and smell during the April good weather was already apparent, and by the time green bin day came around both my bins and those of my neighbours posed a considerable health risk. Despite items being double bagged, there was still damage to the bags, and rotting food was left at the bottom of the bin requiring a complete hose-out of the bin in the garden. Not good for my health or that of my children. Some of my neighbours have not been so vigilant and their bins are now quite appalling

The general concept of increased recycling is a good one, however alternate weekly collection is no way to encourage people to recycle. All that results from less-frequent collections is a resolve of the people to get rid of their rubbish by “hook or by crook”.

This has now commenced with an increase of illegal flytipping, and a lot of people have told me that they knowingly hide incorrect rubbish wrapped in a bag in the middle of the bin that has the most space left in it just to get it removed.

Due to the above, I am now no longer a supporter of alternate weekly collections to increase recycling. I believe the council should make it easier to recycle, not harder.

Rob Winter
Woodland Crescent
Farnborough

First printed in: Aldershot News and Mail