Wheelie Bin News Roundup 23rd April

Wheelie Bin News Roundup 23rd April

Wheelie Bin News Roundup 23rd April

Councillors in Cornwall have been told that wheelie bins could help to reduce the amount of litter on the streets and boost recycling. The council is holding an inquiry as part of drawing up new plans and contracts for rubbish and recycling collection services which will start in 2020. Only 35% of rubbish is currently recycled in Cornwall but the council has set itself an ambitious target of 48%, which is still lower than some other parts of the country.

As part of the new system being proposed, there would be a weekly recycling and food waste collection and a general waste collection every fortnight. They are also looking at how residents store their waste and put it out for collection. New waste containers are likely to be proposed, and options include wheelie bins, seagull proof sacks, and trolley boxes.

Residents in Christchurch in New Zealand who had their wheelie bins set on fire by a serial arsonist will all get $400 in damages for ‘emotional harm’ they suffered.

The man, who set fire to 19 wheelie bins in total, was sentenced to community work and fined $68,000. He was charged with damaging the wheelie bins by fire with ‘reckless regard’ for the safety of the residents. The man met the residents as part of a restorative justice scheme and apologised.

Between January and July 2017, fences, hedges, and property were damaged by the fires, and a few of the properties had their bins set on fire twice.

The cost of garden waste collections in Newcastle is set to double from the current £20 to £40 in June. The council say that they can no longer afford to offset the total costs of the service in the face of funding cuts. The service includes 20 garden waste collections per year, and the council say that anyone who can’t afford to pay the increased charge will be offered the chance to buy a subsidised home composting bin.

Other local councils charge a similar amount per collection, and the council has pledged to review their options if the increased charges lead to a big downturn in the number of people using the service.