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County bins to go fortnightly
5:30am Thursday 10th July 2008
Comments (47)Fortnightly bin collections for household rubbish will be spread across Oxfordshire within two years, it emerged last night.
Council bosses at local authorities in the Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire have agreed to a combined scheme of collecting general waste and recycling on alternate weeks.
And yesterday West Oxfordshire District Council announced it would also change its general rubbish collections to every two weeks - meaning all Oxfordshire districts will have fortnightly collections of one sort or another by 2010.
The Vale, South Oxfordshire and West Oxfordshire will have weekly food waste collections, however, and West Oxfordshire will have weekly recycling.
David Dodds, cabinet member for environmental services at South Oxfordshire District Council, said people would have to get used to the changes.
He said: "We have to radically reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill as space is rapidly running out and we face large penalties from the Government if we don't."
Local authorities insist the move is to encourage people to recycle and cut costs, but people are worried about rat infestations caused by festering rubbish.
Father-of-three Mark Allinson, 33, of Broadway, Didcot, said: "I'm not impressed. I heard about some of the problems they have in other places with pests. It's not welcome at all as far as I'm concerned."
The changes have courted controversy around the country and residents in Oxford have voiced their concerns about the system.
Eric Murray, of Bridge Street, Oxford, and co-founder of pressure group Collect Refuse in Oxford Weekly (CROW), said the city's fortnightly collection system was not working.
He said: "Most of the city is a mess, it is filthy and it's a disgrace. If you leave the rubbish in the back garden for two weeks, it stinks."
However, Jean Fooks, a Lib Dem city councillor who was criticised over Oxford's new waste collection system, said: "Fortnightly collections are a good idea because they make people think more about what they can recycle."
The new schemes in South Oxfordshire, West Oxfordshire and the Vale are expected to be rolled out in June 2009 and autumn 2010.
Barry Norton, leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, said: "It's inevitable that things have to change.
"The system we have is not good enough to avoid the penalties coming into force. We need to recycle more and help the environment."
Jenny Hannaby, a Vale district councillor and executive member for waste procurement, said: "To make storing rubbish and recycling easier, we will be introducing wheeled bins which will also reduce the risk of waste littering the streets when it's windy."
Leslie Gillham, 77, of Berry Croft, Abingdon, said: "The very thought of it - with waste staying so long, rotting and decaying. It's going to cause all sorts of problems."
Your Say YourOxford Mail
malc, Chinnor says...
7:10am Thu 10 Jul 08
Environmental policy, my arse. Two bags once a week or four bags once a fortnight; what's the difference.
Oh yes, less expenditure.
Jamie, cumnor says...
7:21am Thu 10 Jul 08
neil, carterton says...
8:05am Thu 10 Jul 08
Toad of Toad Hall, Toad Hall says...
8:08am Thu 10 Jul 08
malcolm baker, Long hanbourgh says...
8:19am Thu 10 Jul 08
I thought West Oxfordshire DC were better than that. Where does Barry Norton expect us to keep all these different wheelie bins. Will there be weekly food waste collected. Its just another tax on the over taxed public, sneeked in under the "green" banner.
Zimmer, Oxon says...
8:28am Thu 10 Jul 08
What a load of nonesense you are spouting.
The same nonesense that was heard from the population of Our fair County City. It's a load of old tosh. Rats are around humans because we are least than fastidious in our habits. All you need is common sense. Just think that you will be recycling for the sake of your children's children. Just talk to most residents of Cherwell District if you are not convinced. Recycling 45% and rising. That's the way to do it Roland, Freddie, Malc, Jamie, Neil and Toady.You know it makes sense!!!!!!
malcolm baker, Long hanbourgh says...
8:31am Thu 10 Jul 08
Zimmer wrote:Thats why whenever the TV cover the rat infestation caused by fortnightly collection of food waste, they AWAYS film live from your fiar city.
We welcome the yokels from West & South to the 21st Century. What a load of nonesense you are spouting. The same nonesense that was heard from the population of Our fair County City. It's a load of old tosh. Rats are around humans because we are least than fastidious in our habits. All you need is common sense. Just think that you will be recycling for the sake of your children's children. Just talk to most residents of Cherwell District if you are not convinced. Recycling 45% and rising. That's the way to do it Roland, Freddie, Malc, Jamie, Neil and Toady.You know it makes sense!!!!!!
PS Why is Harold Bishop leader of West Oxfordshire DC???
Caroline, Witney says...
8:44am Thu 10 Jul 08
Zimmer, Oxon says...
9:04am Thu 10 Jul 08
Caroline, You've got it in one. They have a job to run over wheelie bins!
MIKE, oxford says...
9:32am Thu 10 Jul 08
M, Oxford says...
9:35am Thu 10 Jul 08
Also, can't wait for the reduction in my council tax as one of the services I receive is cut by 50%. What's that you say? Not gonna happen? Bit of a con that, isn't it?
Well done to the county council, they'll be getting my vote in the next election.
Richard Tivens, Tampa, Fl says...
9:50am Thu 10 Jul 08
Cant believe all this. Here in the States we get all our trash together taken away TWICE a week and the yard waste (grass cutting, tree branches, etc) once a week. Also every week there is a truck collection of old furniture, washing machines, etc. What is going on in that little island over there!.
Lou, Oxford says...
9:59am Thu 10 Jul 08
Fortnightly collections are a joke!! on a number of ocassions now I have had the pleasure of my 'wheelie bin' being infested with maggots as rubbish is left to rot over two weeks. Not to mention the increase in flies, which funnily enough only seem to have appeared since the fortnighly collections were introduced!
It's a complete farce!, plus the half hearted service we receive from the 'refuse operatives' or whatever ridiculous PC name we are supposed to call them now is beyond a joke! Boxes thrown back on your lawn if you're lucky! otherwise it's the usual hunt in the next road to find your precious box or bin!
Sort it out Oxford Council you are a complete waste of space!
David, wantage says...
10:01am Thu 10 Jul 08
Possibly flush soft food waste down the lavatory.
Having said that, there should be a reduction in council tax to allow for the missed collections - but there won't be.
The blame is being placed at the door of the Government, whether this is true or not, I don't know. Ironic that the Labour Party can't break even with its own party accounts (large deficit), yet are still running the country. But not for long.
David Allan, says...
10:01am Thu 10 Jul 08
Concerned, Oxford says...
10:05am Thu 10 Jul 08
tpebop, Faliraki Rhodes says...
10:11am Thu 10 Jul 08
L, Oxford says...
10:17am Thu 10 Jul 08
Faced with an 11 day old box of rottiing rubbish umm what did you do...run off and cancel the interview I believe! All STINKS A BIT doesn't it Jean???!!!
Becky, Witney says...
10:21am Thu 10 Jul 08
We would prefer a large, preferably wheeled, bin for recycleables though please, West Oxon DC. The boxes are fine but they're heavy to put out and the lids are a bit wonky - the two or three that we fill each week is probably eqivalent to one wheelie bin, which would be easier to store and much, much less hassle to move to the pavement each week.
Andrew, Oxford says...
10:41am Thu 10 Jul 08
If you want a weekly refuse collection, vote for the party that promises to deliver it at the next local election.
There is, of course, no absolute requirement for individuals to have refuse collected by the local authority. Commercial operators such as Biffa or Grundon would be delighted to provide a weekly or even daily service for the appropriate fee.
Zimmer, Oxon says...
10:51am Thu 10 Jul 08
Perhaps you should all move to Tampa and deal with the 'gaiter problem which is exacerbated by household waste from the most wasteful society in the world namely the US of A.
Green, Oxford says...
10:52am Thu 10 Jul 08
Yes, it will. However, if you leave rubbish in your wheelie bin, appropriately wrapped in a bin liner or similar, with the lid properly closed, it will be fine for a couple of weeks.
(And if you can't close the lid of your bin, you're producing too much rubbish and wasting too much food and not recyling enough!)
Agnes, Abingdon says...
11:06am Thu 10 Jul 08
Eric, Oxford says...
11:25am Thu 10 Jul 08
does smell after 2 weeks whether double wrapped or not. One scheme does not fit all.
Rob, Oxford says...
11:36am Thu 10 Jul 08
I'd say it was an improvement over the service we got before. Where it is more of a problem is in densely packed streets of terraces where the occupants find it hard to find a place to store the boxes.
It won't be a problem out in the sticks in the rest of Oxfordshire where there is more space around houses.
The only other reason it may not work is that quite a few people just don't give a toss about recycling and want an easy life ('I pay my taxes!' yawn,yawn) but why should they dictate the refuse and recycling policy that ultimately effects all of us?
Malc, Chinnor says...
11:41am Thu 10 Jul 08
I put out two black bags; that's less than half a bag per person in my household - It ain't gonna go down much.
So we should "double wrap food waste" - isn't that just putting MORE plastic into landfill.
Less than 10% of this country's waste is produced by domestic premises. Tackle the waste at source and we will all be better off.
JK, Wantage says...
12:13pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Debbie, Didcot says...
12:45pm Thu 10 Jul 08
I have one recycling box (without lid) and one garden waste wheelie bin. The rubbish is taken away in plastic bags but I keep it in a bin for a few weeks with the lid on and I have never had any vermin problems. It doesnt usually smell that bad either unless the rain gets to it.
I recycle and compost veg waste (when I remember) but you know what the biggest difference I try to make is? I try not to buy stuff that has loads of packaging. I make a conscious effort not to buy tetrapaks (difficult to recycle) and never buy ready meals. Being a vegi the ready meal options should be condemned anyway! I work full time and study part-time but I can still find time to cook most days. Oh and I try not to waste cooked food either (not always possible when you make that cooking mistake!)
As someone has already hinted at this is one Earth and we are all in this together, lets not try and sink the UK under all this rubbish. If you want to carry on chucking waste away please do not complain when an incinerator site or a new landfill is opened near you.
fasted, greece says...
1:11pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Ed, Oxford says...
2:00pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Bins should be collected weekly, if not then I want a council tax rebate. It'll save a lot in fuel costs which will be squandered on more middle-managers I bet.
The system in this country is breaking down and it needs a serious re-vamp.
Axe the council tax, the many useless council staff and bureaucrats and implement a local sales tax of 3% like the rest of the world has (nearly).
Result? The tourists pay for our services :-)
Angela, Headington says...
2:20pm Thu 10 Jul 08
It's a nightmare and I hate it! Thank god we haven't had a summer this year or it would be even worse!
Goody2sandals, north berks says...
2:48pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Cynic, Oxford says...
4:10pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Even when recycling works, it's just another profiteering racket. Work it out - what about the bottle that your beer comes in? You, the consumer,pay the beer company for the cost of the bottle in the price of the beer; you then GIVE it to the council to recycle; the council SELLS it to the recycling company, which SELLS the recycled glass to the bottle manufacturer, who make another bottle and sell that to the beer company. Then they sell you the bottle, again. The only person who doesn't make any money in this circle is YOU, the consumer - and from you comes the profit for all these other companies.
It's not rocket science.... you're a bunch of mugs :)
Noddy, Oxford says...
5:46pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Roger, East Oxford says...
7:07pm Thu 10 Jul 08
John, says...
8:25pm Thu 10 Jul 08
So much for consultation - get used to it people.
Questioner, Abingdon says...
8:27pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Jan, says...
10:36pm Thu 10 Jul 08
If these schemes are so good why have 17 councils reverted to weekly collections all year round; 3 councils have reverted to weekly collections during summer months and more are introducing weekly food waste collections?
Andy, Oxford says...
11:55am Fri 11 Jul 08
John Thomas, Oxford says...
11:58am Fri 11 Jul 08
Richard Tivens wrote:Whats Going on , WHATS GOING ON - I will tell you whats going on - We are being crucified because your chimp faced president wont sign up to the Kyoto agreement
Hey you guys Cant believe all this. Here in the States we get all our trash together taken away TWICE a week and the yard waste (grass cutting, tree branches, etc) once a week. Also every week there is a truck collection of old furniture, washing machines, etc. What is going on in that little island over there!.
Alan Page, Guildford says...
2:29pm Fri 11 Jul 08
Mr Ison, England says...
3:30am Sat 12 Jul 08
cajunsr., tampa, florida says...
3:57pm Sat 12 Jul 08
in my county, not the city, which is a separate gov't. entity; our pickups for garbage and trash are done twice a week, not every 2 weeks. i don't where this person received his information, but it is erroneous. i believe the city is also on the same schedule as the also use the same county landfill. we also have a large enviromentally friendly incinerator at the landfill that burns our garbage and turns it into electricity. and the yard wastes like tree limbs and leaves are recycled into mulch. plastics are recycled into traffic stops and other devices used in the county. it seems to me your council and your country is not putting your taxes to the best benefit.
amities et a bientot,
cajunsr.
Mr Ison, England says...
8:25pm Sat 12 Jul 08
Steve, Dorchester says...
10:13pm Wed 16 Jul 08
joe, oxford says...
10:15pm Wed 16 Jul 08
Barry Norton
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roland rat &freddy the fox, oxon says...
5:40am Thu 10 Jul 08