South Gloucestershire residents are set to have even more opportunities to recycle their household waste, following a majority decision by councillors last night (Tuesday 10th September), but they will have to start paying for the collection of garden waste.
Plans to include mixed plastics, drinks cartons and small electrical items within kerbside recycling services from next year were approved by members of South Gloucestershire Council’s Communities Committee, as part of the council’s Waste Strategy for 2013-19.
People living in flats are also set to benefit from a more comprehensive recycling service, with the introduction of new arrangements at premises not suited to a standard kerbside collection.
South Gloucestershire already has one of the highest recycling rates of all unitary authorities and the strategy aims to build on this success by extending the service to include more types of waste.
It also introduces a range of measures to improve service efficiency at a time of increasing financial pressure for local authorities.
Among these, a £36 annual charge will be introduced for garden waste collection, together with the introduction of £2 ‘pay as you go’ garden waste sacks, helping to reduce overall service costs. New measures to promote home composting as a more environment-friendly option for green waste will also be introduced alongside the new provisions for garden waste collection.
Residents who do not wish to subscribe to the service, or to home compost, can continue to dispose of garden waste free of charge at their local SORT IT! household waste recycling centre.
Members also approved a proposal that officers investigate the potential of alternative collection arrangements, such as double-shift systems, to deliver further efficiency savings.
As part of the drive to increase composting, residents moving into new-build homes in the district will be offered a voucher for a new home compost bin from April 2014, and bins will also be available for existing residents to buy at competitive rates.
The council will also work with community groups to promote and encourage home composting, by recruiting ‘composting champions’ to give independent advice in their neighbourhoods.
Other measures in the strategy include a reduction in the concessionary discount for bulky waste collections from 100 per cent to 50 per cent, and the introduction of new technology for waste collection vehicles which will help improve customer service and service efficiency.
Further proposals in the strategy, such as the introduction of mattress recycling, will be brought back to committee for decision at a future date.
Related link: Consultation on the South Gloucestershire Waste Strategy 2013 to 2019 (SGC)
Source: South Gloucestershire Council
I have trouble paying my bills as it is without having this extra cost. I do not own a car so going to my local sort it place is not really an option either. so I think it a stupid idea. I also think it will mean more fly tipping so it will cost the council more money in the long run.
Does this mean we get a reduction on our council tax bill as a service is being withdrawn/paid for over and above what we already pay? I can’t imagine for one moment it does, and as the council predict a 30% take up on the new scheme I can see fly tipping increasing, is it really going to save them money? Again I think not.
£36 or less bin clutter in my front garden???? Not a difficult decision…will there be a collection charge to remove my green bin or can I recycle it along with my other plastic containers?
I guess this will just mean more people “hiding” small amounts of green waste in their black bins!
I would rather pay a per collection fee, I only put stuff in my green bin maybe 3 or 4 times a year, so why should I pay the same as people who fill their green bin right to the top every fortnight?
These Councillors really aren’t the smartest people around, but maybe the only people who stand in the local elections are sad people who like to force their small minded ideas on everyone else, get a life Councillors!!
So let me get this straight. They are removing the green bin “privilege”, keeping our concil tax the same, then charging £36 to have a green bin?
A net cost of £772 in fact. I think this is disgusting.
Whats all the fuss about if you dont want it dont have it. Start a compost bin it’s certainly not hard and not a big deal, we all have green bins to convert if we choose, and you get some nice ferts for the garden. Its a win win situation. And the council may even save some money and be able to invest it into the local skateboard park for my son for example.
Fly tipping may increase and so will the fines for the filthy lazy people that do it.
As for cost to have a lorry come to your house with three workman on board to collect your rubbish and then drive to a centre to dispose of it for 0.75pence a week based on a 4 week month/year sounds like a steal.
I am with Bristol City Council who already charge for green bins – everybody I know (other than two people) do not have green bins and ‘hide’ their waste in the black bin. I have a compost bin which is good for most veg waste but if you are chopping bits off trees etc it doesn’t really work.
I have a very large lawn and a few bushes/shrubs, but no flower borders or veg patch, where am I meant to put all the compost once I have made it from my grass and shrub clippings?
How about you dont collect your grass clippings up Tony. I dont and the birds love it its gone with in a few days encourages a bit of nature 🙂
Maybe you should think about starting a veg patch if you have the land then you would have some where to put your compost and save some money and start a hobby in the process.
Yet another example of rip of Britain. Do the local council along with the government believe we have a bottomless pit of money. People cannot afford these added costs and it will only add to the fly tipping problems. FOR ONCE WHY DON’T WE ALL STAND UP AND OPPOSE THIS IMPOSITION IT’S ABOUT TIME THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE WAS HEARD!!!!!!
Moan Moan Moan
George, are you happy with this charge then? Are you happy with the rigged consultation? Do you work for the council?
I’m really not fussed i only put the green bin out every 6 weeks really not going to make much difference i leave the grass clippings on the lawn anyway i see it as a waste of money sending the truck round all the time. And i am quite happy composting what is the big deal honestly.
69p a week to have a lorry with three workers come to your house and take you rubbish away what a bargin.
I live in a close of 40 houses, most of my neighbours are not going to pay the £36.00 for a green bin which means you are going to send a vehicle with at least two operatives to empty one or two green bins in my close which is what will be happening in most areas, what a waste of time and money.
You are asking us to recycle as much as we can and most people’s reaction is to now put their garden rubbish in their black bin. I use my green bin and it is usually full once a fortnight but like most people I will be using my black bin as I do not feel that I should have to pay extra to recycle.
Omg what what a bunch of moaners if you don’t want it don’t have it how did you lot manage before with all your grass cuttings its called recycle get a compost bin I am quite happy to pay £36 a year for somebody to empty my green bin all year round
My green bin gets filled & put out about three times a year. That’s £12 per binful….somehow I don’t think I’ll be paying. Just means diverting via the tip en-route from Patchway to catch my train to work at Parkway. Job done!
The council introduced recycling and it has been a success, with the introduction of this charge people are going to decide not to bother. Don’t the council realise that we pay high enough rates without an additional burden.
If there is a need to reduce costs why don’t they stop wasting money on unwanted projects and consider reducing the vast number of councillors.
Why not reduce the duplication of councils at county and town level.
Have the council publicised the intended charge as very few people I have spoken to didn’t know anything about it?
Have they considered the elderly and the amount of effort needed to turn a compost heap and to use the compost on the garden?
Has a risk assessment been done in light of legionella discovered in compost in Scotland?
Are any profits currently being made from our green waste which could be used to subsidise the collections Is it possible to sort garden waste to make it sellable as, say biomass for fuel manufacture. Wansbrough paper mill, Watchet uses biofuel to power it’s machinery. A A Griggs Transport current takes tons of cardboard to Wansbrough for recycling Maybe they could take our sorted green waste to feed the biomass plant or we could persuade a large local power consumer to build a similar plant
My community charge bill is £1850 and for that the single street light in my close goes off before midnight, the police patrol is invisible the road surface has had no maintenance since 1979 when the house was built, my bins only get emptied fortnightly and now I am to be charged £36 to have a green bin emptied that I didn’t want in the first place. These little Hitler’s need a kick up the arse!