There
are advantages and disadvantages of wheelie bins. The deciding factors in waste collection
at Wokingham have been maximising recycling, reducing waste and keeping down costs.
This Council, and the residents, have prided themselves at recycling more of their waste
than any other District in Berkshire for the last 8 years and a major factor has been not
having wheelie bins. National research has shown for many years that in comparable areas
with and without wheelies, recycling is significantly higher in the non-wheelie area.
Residents tend to throw all their rubbish in wheelies whereas if they have to buy their
own container, they think twice.
Wheelie bin areas pick up between 10% and 30% more rubbish per property. This could cost
the Council about £400,000 per year extra to landfill. (Some of this will go to the Civic
Amenity Sites at Reading or Bracknell if not collected, but again the individual has to
make a conscious decision to do so. Wokingham pays a percentage of each site's costs.)
Wheelie bins cost about £20 each delivered (we have about 57000 properties). This capital
could be used for schools etc and many other priority projects. The cost of collection is
about £40,000 more per year because it is slower than dustbins. Bin lifting equipment
would add another £15,000 per year. Whilst wheelies save on crew numbers (3 instead of 4
or 5), at least one extra collection vehicle with crew would be required.
Whilst there are a number of advantages of wheelie bins in reducing litter, smell,
improving tidiness, ease of movement etc., the balance is still against wheelies in
Wokingham. Any decision to change the current scheme would be made with full public
consultation.
Original article here |
