Somerset Waste Partnership plans for bin collections every three weeks

Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) trialled changes in 2014 which included refuse bins being collected once every three weeks instead of fortnightly, with recycling bins and food waste collected once a week, however new rules are also set to come in to place expanding what materials can be recycled.

More plastics including pots, tubs and trays will be recycled across the county, as well as batteries and small electrical appliances. Extra provisions will be provided where needed, for instance families can apply for additional capacity or sacks to accommodate for nappies.

According to SWP, the trials conducted in Wiveliscombe and Taunton Deane in 2014 were successful, with more than 70 per cent of homes visited saying the trial was better than the previous collection arrangements.

The changes are now subject to approval from all six of the SWP partners, with Taunton Deane Borough Council (TDBC) set to recommend they go ahead.

A spokesman from TDBC said: “It is recommended that the executive supports the Recycle More proposals back to the Somerset Waste Partnership Board for final decision on December 16.

“It is recommended the executive support the recommendation of community scrutiny not to retain weekly collections in place for a number of defined properties identified within the TDBC covering report.”

Other district councils, including Sedgemoor, South Somerset and West Somerset, alongside Somerset County Council, will also have a say at the meeting taking place on December 16.

Chairman of Sedgemoor District Council’s scrutiny committee, Brian Smedley, said the trials’ success based in Wiveliscombe would not translate to bigger urban areas like Bridgwater.

John O’Connell, hief xecutive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance: “Council tax was raised this year and local residents have every right to expect to receive more for their money, not less. Council tax represents a large outlay for hard-press families and they want it to fund basic essential services and bin collection is about as basic as it gets. Bosses at the Council need to make sure that they have found all necessary savings and cut out all waste before they can ever start to think about threatening local residents with restricted services.

l Waste collections in Somerset will be one day later in the fortnight after Christmas, including the two Friday pick-ups being moved to Saturdays, while garden waste collections are suspended.

There will be no change to collections up to and including December 23, and usual services will be back from January 9.

We asked some Somerset residents their thoughts: 

Ray Parr, 67, Taunton, said: "I would say I am against it unless they made it really straight forward. 
"You walk past bins that still have bits left in them that people have put in thinking that they can recycle it. 
"You buy things in the supermarket and you aren't ever too sure if you should throw it away or recycle it. 
"There is only two people in our house so it isn't too bad, but if we are paying the same amount of money we should be getting the same service."

Martin Cook, 67, Taunton, said: "I would be against the changes, I think every two weeks is enough. 
"We recycle a lot so it is good that we could be able to recycle more but my thoughts would go to the big families with kids that would have a lot more waste than us." 

Carla Griffith, 70, Taunton, said: "I would be fine with the bins being collected every three weeks. 
"I only usually put mine out once a month anyway. 
"I would like to see a wider range of recycling, I put a ball of silver foil in there once and I never know if it can be taken or not. 
"I would feel sorry for bigger families though."

Susan Pipe, 62, Bridgwater, said: "My bin is often half empty anyway so I wouldn't mind too much.
"I would like to know exactly what could be recycled though, they often reject my plastic yoghurt pots but in other places in the country they would be taken. 
"It would be good to see some consistency about what can and cannot be recycled."