A 93-year-old woman has slammed Spelthorne Council's new rubbish collection plans after being advised to tie her bin bags to her walking frame, reports Your Local Guardian.
Jessie Emer, of Cadbury Road, Sunbury, contacted after reading about blind residents' concerns about distinguishing the new bins, which are being rolled out across the borough.
Mrs Emer, a lifelong Conservative voter, said she would be unable to move the new wheelie bins as she walks with a frame.
She said: "I really do not know how they can do this without any consideration for the elderly. How am I now supposed to take my bins to the front of the house.
"The bin man just told me to tie the black bin bag to my frame and hobble to the wheelie bin."
Mrs Emer, who has lived in Spelthorne for 73 years, said even though she had contacted the council, nothing had been done and that she was not alone in having difficulty - her 96-year-old cousin is suffering from the same problem.
She said: "It is appalling and I am disgusted the council think they can do this without asking people.
"I can not move the bins about and I will not vote Conservative again. How do they think I can cope?
"They carried out a small test which proved nothing. Would they expect their own elderly relatives to move about these big bins?
"I am unable to walk without my frame never mind push anything."
Mrs Emer, who has lived through two world wars, said she believes the introduction of the new rubbish collection policy is penny pinching.
Showing posts with label bin collections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bin collections. Show all posts
Monday, 13 August 2007
Wednesday, 25 April 2007
The price is smells, flies and asthma
The reduction in the frequency of domestic rubbish collections has led to concerns about public health, reports the Daily Telegraph today.
A recent study found that fortnightly pick-ups can increase the risk of health problems, including asthma and nausea.
Researchers found that the level of bacteria and fungal spores in the air above bins that had not been emptied for two weeks was more than 10 times that in locations where there was a weekly collection.
The report in the journal Science of the Total Environment said that decaying rubbish heated by warm weather provided a fertile breeding ground for spores.
"Exposure to fungi on this level can trigger sore throats, respiratory systems, faintness, weakness and depression, asthma and other allergic reactions," Tom Kosatsky, a medical epidemiologist at McGill University in Montreal, has been quoted as saying.
Doretta Cocks, the founder of the Campaign for Weekly Waste Collection, said that while most supported recycling, fortnightly collections meant residents had to endure smells, flies and maggots.
There have also been concerns for binmen. Scandinavian scientists found that fortnightly collections allowed organic waste to degrade and putrefy. They noticed that during the working week the respiratory tracts of binmen became inflamed.
The Department for Environment said its research found no evidence of health problems linked to fortnightly collections. Common sense measures, such as keeping waste tightly wrapped and bin lids closed, would help deal with potential smells or insects, it added.
A recent study found that fortnightly pick-ups can increase the risk of health problems, including asthma and nausea.
Researchers found that the level of bacteria and fungal spores in the air above bins that had not been emptied for two weeks was more than 10 times that in locations where there was a weekly collection.
The report in the journal Science of the Total Environment said that decaying rubbish heated by warm weather provided a fertile breeding ground for spores.
"Exposure to fungi on this level can trigger sore throats, respiratory systems, faintness, weakness and depression, asthma and other allergic reactions," Tom Kosatsky, a medical epidemiologist at McGill University in Montreal, has been quoted as saying.
Doretta Cocks, the founder of the Campaign for Weekly Waste Collection, said that while most supported recycling, fortnightly collections meant residents had to endure smells, flies and maggots.
There have also been concerns for binmen. Scandinavian scientists found that fortnightly collections allowed organic waste to degrade and putrefy. They noticed that during the working week the respiratory tracts of binmen became inflamed.
The Department for Environment said its research found no evidence of health problems linked to fortnightly collections. Common sense measures, such as keeping waste tightly wrapped and bin lids closed, would help deal with potential smells or insects, it added.
Election spotlight falls on weekly bin battle
Dropping weekly bin collections has flared into a major issue for hundreds of thousands of voters at next week's local elections, the Daily Telegraph writes.
Concern about proposals to bring in fortnightly collections stretches from Guildford in the South to Berwick-upon-Tweed, on the border with Scotland.
Cuts in collections in a substantial amount of local authorities has provoked an angry response from council tax payers
Campaigning on the threat, which comes after revelations last week that weekly rounds have been ended for households in four out of 10 councils in England, stretches across party boundaries with Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat candidates pledging to reinstate the weekly collection.
Lord Bruce-Lockhart, chairman of Local the Government Association, said the elections had seen rising concern among council taxpayers. "It is more of an issue than it was," he added.
Doretta Cox, who runs the Campaign for Weekly Waste Collections, said: "It is becoming a very hot topic. In the last month it has just gone crazy. It should be a local election campaigning issue but unfortunately, because they are coming under Government pressure, it is not as important as it should be."
The Telegraph yesterday found that in 19 out of 45 councils the issue had become a major concern. The Liberal Democrats are fighting the proposals in Luton and Liverpool, where the party has branded proposals by Labour for fortnightly collections as a "Rats' Charter".
Concern about proposals to bring in fortnightly collections stretches from Guildford in the South to Berwick-upon-Tweed, on the border with Scotland.
Cuts in collections in a substantial amount of local authorities has provoked an angry response from council tax payers
Campaigning on the threat, which comes after revelations last week that weekly rounds have been ended for households in four out of 10 councils in England, stretches across party boundaries with Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat candidates pledging to reinstate the weekly collection.
Lord Bruce-Lockhart, chairman of Local the Government Association, said the elections had seen rising concern among council taxpayers. "It is more of an issue than it was," he added.
Doretta Cox, who runs the Campaign for Weekly Waste Collections, said: "It is becoming a very hot topic. In the last month it has just gone crazy. It should be a local election campaigning issue but unfortunately, because they are coming under Government pressure, it is not as important as it should be."
The Telegraph yesterday found that in 19 out of 45 councils the issue had become a major concern. The Liberal Democrats are fighting the proposals in Luton and Liverpool, where the party has branded proposals by Labour for fortnightly collections as a "Rats' Charter".
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Saturday, 17 March 2007
Green light given to empty bins every 2 weeks
A weekly visit from the binmen is increasingly under threat as councils come under mounting pressure to switch to fortnightly refuse collections - reports the Daily Telegraph.
So far, about one third of the 300 waste authorities in England, covering about 10 million households, are experimenting with reduced collections.
The issue has triggered controversy, with councils being accused of cutting services under cover of going 'green', while also hitting people with above-inflation council tax rises which are supposed to pay for the service.
Eric Pickles, the Tory local government spokesman, pointed out that: "Refuse collection for some people without children is the single biggest thing they actually get for their council tax."
The move is suspected to be a first steps towards a new "rubbish tax", charging householders for what they put out for collection.
If the government is so short of money that it has to pressure councils to cut back on essential services, for which householders already pay an ever-increasing council tax bill, then it's time to consider where public money is being wasted.
For example, are MPs really going to vote to approve rewarding the chronically wasteful EU with the massive 60% increase in payments that Tony Blair promised - while Britain's rubbish starts piling up, or a new 'rubbish tax' is imposed?
If the EU is responsible for lumping extra costs on councils for sending waste to landfill, then it's only fair the money to pay those extra costs comes from cutting the extra billions Blair has already pledged to hand over to the EU's budget.
The EU can't have it both ways. Though it may come as a shock to EU law-makers, given the lavish surroundings they enjoy in Brussels at our expense, public money isn't unlimited.
So are MPs prepared to block the extra Blair promised the EU, to keep essential services up to standard? Sadly it seems many actually intend to not only throw billions away on payments to the audit-failing EU budget, but ALSO expect local voters to put up with reduced services or higher taxes.
Those MPs in marginal seats supporting such a plan can only have given up hope of being re-elected already.
So far, about one third of the 300 waste authorities in England, covering about 10 million households, are experimenting with reduced collections.
The issue has triggered controversy, with councils being accused of cutting services under cover of going 'green', while also hitting people with above-inflation council tax rises which are supposed to pay for the service.
Eric Pickles, the Tory local government spokesman, pointed out that: "Refuse collection for some people without children is the single biggest thing they actually get for their council tax."
The move is suspected to be a first steps towards a new "rubbish tax", charging householders for what they put out for collection.
If the government is so short of money that it has to pressure councils to cut back on essential services, for which householders already pay an ever-increasing council tax bill, then it's time to consider where public money is being wasted.
For example, are MPs really going to vote to approve rewarding the chronically wasteful EU with the massive 60% increase in payments that Tony Blair promised - while Britain's rubbish starts piling up, or a new 'rubbish tax' is imposed?
If the EU is responsible for lumping extra costs on councils for sending waste to landfill, then it's only fair the money to pay those extra costs comes from cutting the extra billions Blair has already pledged to hand over to the EU's budget.
The EU can't have it both ways. Though it may come as a shock to EU law-makers, given the lavish surroundings they enjoy in Brussels at our expense, public money isn't unlimited.
So are MPs prepared to block the extra Blair promised the EU, to keep essential services up to standard? Sadly it seems many actually intend to not only throw billions away on payments to the audit-failing EU budget, but ALSO expect local voters to put up with reduced services or higher taxes.
Those MPs in marginal seats supporting such a plan can only have given up hope of being re-elected already.
Friday, 16 March 2007
Bin collections being cut to every fortnight
More homes could see the end of weekly bin collections after a government report played down claims of fortnightly collections causing hygiene problems, reports the BBC.
Many councils have already adopted a policy of collecting general waste fortnightly - with many picking up recyclable rubbish on alternate weeks.
The research into waste collections - funded by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) - found that if waste was properly wrapped there should be no hygiene concerns.
However some residents in areas where rubbish is collected fortnightly have complained of more rats, maggots and nasty odours.
Doretta Cocks, a Hampshire housewife who campaigns against fortnightly collections, says they are "not adequate" and "compromise public health".
She says her bin gives off an "awful smell" after 10 days, despite the rubbish being double-wrapped.
One third of English councils have already phased out weekly collections of general waste. Similarly, half of Welsh councils and many Northern Irish authorities already carry out less frequent collections.
Councils claim that the move to less frequent rubbish collections is more about encouraging recycling than cost-cutting. But is it becoming too much to ask that our streets are kept clean and our bins emptied?
Certainly if local authorities can no longer afford weekly bin collections, the time has come to cut wasteful spending elsewhere. Payments to an audit-failing and extremely wasteful EU must surely be a prime candidate for the chop.
Many councils have already adopted a policy of collecting general waste fortnightly - with many picking up recyclable rubbish on alternate weeks.
The research into waste collections - funded by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) - found that if waste was properly wrapped there should be no hygiene concerns.
However some residents in areas where rubbish is collected fortnightly have complained of more rats, maggots and nasty odours.
Doretta Cocks, a Hampshire housewife who campaigns against fortnightly collections, says they are "not adequate" and "compromise public health".
She says her bin gives off an "awful smell" after 10 days, despite the rubbish being double-wrapped.
One third of English councils have already phased out weekly collections of general waste. Similarly, half of Welsh councils and many Northern Irish authorities already carry out less frequent collections.
Councils claim that the move to less frequent rubbish collections is more about encouraging recycling than cost-cutting. But is it becoming too much to ask that our streets are kept clean and our bins emptied?
Certainly if local authorities can no longer afford weekly bin collections, the time has come to cut wasteful spending elsewhere. Payments to an audit-failing and extremely wasteful EU must surely be a prime candidate for the chop.
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