We Wheelie Don't Want a Bin!

We Wheelie Don't Want a Bin!

We Wheelie Don’t Want a Bin!

 

Residents in an area of Bath have been angered by their local council who they say are ‘forcing’ them to use wheelie bins that they don’t want. They have been told by the council that they will get a wheelie bin for their recyclable rubbish later this year.

The residents say that they asked for a reusable rubbish bag instead but the council refused.

 Don't Want a Bin

Resident’s concerns

Residents say that a bin would spoil the look of their houses, and there would not be enough space on the roads for the bins, or for refuse vehicles. They are angry that the council has not consulted them on the matter prior to the introduction of the bins. They state that they simply got a flyer through their door.

One man said he had tried contacting the council but nobody was prepared to speak to him, and when he did get through to someone, they put the phone down on him.

Households where there are only 2 residents say that they don’t have enough waste to fill a bin, and elderly people worry about having to drag a bin down steps for collection.

One elderly resident states that he will refuse to accept the wheelie bin. He said that he and his wife only produce one bag of rubbish every 5 weeks, and that they absolutely not need a bin. The man said he has a compost heap so he does not throw away a lot of waste, and that he does not have a lot of room in his garden for a bin. He states that he intends to leave his bin in the street when it is issued.

 

The council’s response

Roughly ¾ of the 80,000 households in the area have been allocated a wheelie bin, and the rest are getting a reusable rubbish bag.

The council state that they are giving some properties bins as the location of their household was ‘suitable for a bin’ and that providing bins was the most efficient and effective solution to waste collection in that area.

The new bins are a part of wider changes to the recycling and rubbish collection service that the council is introducing in November to cut costs, encourage people to recycle more and to improve the look of local areas.

One of the biggest problems in the area is the litter left on the streets after seagulls have attacked rubbish bags and bins that are left out for collection. The council say that this problem is compounded by residents leaving their bins and bags out overnight, even though they are asked not to.

A row that’s set to continue

This row is not going to end any time soon, as residents continue to complain that they have been given the wrong bins or bags, and the council do not appear to want to negotiate, though they have called a cabinet meeting to discuss the matter.