Campaigners issue rotting rubbish warning

Move to cut bin collections in bid to cut amount of waste sent to landfill is drastic and unhygienic, says pressure group.

Campaigners are warning that rubbish will be left rotting in the streets if local authorities switch from fortnightly bin collections to once a month in a bid to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

An investigation by ITV’s Tonight programme found that nearly two-thirds of UK homes now have bins collected every fortnight, while five councils in England and Wales had reduced landfill waste collection to once every three weeks.

Critics say Oldham Council’s announcement that it is to start three-weekly bin collections is ‘drastic and unhygienic’.  

Councillors blame the move on government spending cuts and say it could boost recycling rates by 12%. They add that food and garden waste will still be collected weekly.

But Dia Chakravarty, political director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, says: ‘Reducing bin collections to every three weeks is a drastic cut to one of the most basic services taxpayers expect their council to provide. How many households will be able to retain three weeks’ rubbish?”

The anger follows a court case that saw a London women being ordered to pay more than £1100 after she was caught fly-tipping in her own garden.

A neighbour reported Regina Sally Fernandes to Brent Council after she dumped waste including rubble, an old boiler and broken furniture on land outside her house.

Ms Fernandes was fined £225 and ordered to pay £778.50 in costs as well as a £120 victim surcharge at Willesden Magistrates’ Court.

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 Daily Mail