The Month in Wheelie Bin Headlines - January
The Month in Wheelie Bin Headlines
January 2018
Conwy Council in North Wales has become the first council in England and Wales to introduce monthly bin collections, and as expected, they’ve been met with numerous complaints about vermin and fly-tipping. The proposal was initially rejected, but it was pushed through eventually by the town’s Conservative run council.
The council trialled the scheme on 11,000 homes at the end of 2016, and there were initial complaints about an increase in fly-tipping, but the council claimed that it could potentially boost recycling rates and save them £40,000 per year.
Residents have complained that council tax rates have increased, but that they have less access to services due to funding cuts. Some took to Twitter to complain that the new monthly collections aren’t working because bins are overfilled, rubbish is being left for too long, and it’s a risk to health. The residents’ anger has been fuelled further by the proposed 5% increase in council tax.
A recycling area near a Tesco Superstore in Stroud might be withdrawn because business and others are fly-tipping in the containers. Members of the public have complained that bins are that full they’re over spilling, and that they are surrounded by piles of dumped waste.
Over Christmas, Tesco was even forced to close the facility because of the extent of the fly-tipping. When the facility reopened, it was inspected by an offer from Stroud District council.
The council is working with Tesco to rectify the situation by emphasizing to residents what they can and can’t put in their recycling, and where there are alternative facilities for the disposal of items that can’t be recycled in kerbside collections.
The council suspect that local business owners have also been using the facility to dump waste. It’s illegal for businesses to dispose of waste at a facility that is designated for public use. Business owners also have a responsibility to make sure that anyone they hire to dispose of their waste has a licence. A council spokesperson stated that waste from businesses should be disposed of by a registered waste carrier and that they should have an official waste transfer note to retain as proof.
THE humble wheelie bin is at the centre of a row between 2 rival Australian firms which has resulted in a court battle.
Bin manufacturers Mastec are seeking damages from rival firm Trident Plastics after the Federal Court heard that Trident had used confidential drawings owned by Mastec to develop and produce its own range of wheelie bins. It was also found that the company lied about their success and prowess in their wheelie bin marketing material.
The court battle began in 2016, when Mastec claimed that the lids on Trident’s bins were the same or almost the same as theirs.
Trident’s bins were made using design drawings done by a subsidiary company who had produced the drawings in 2003 for Mastec.
Mastec claim that their contract with the design firm contained a term which required that they keep the designs confidential. The judge upheld Mastec’s claims that the design drawings belonged to them and that Trident had unlawfully used the information. Companies and individuals found guilty of misleading or deceptive conduct can be fined between $220,000 and $1 million. The court proceedings are ongoing.