Alliance finds ‘shocking’ disparity in bin numbers

There is a ‘shocking disparity' in the number of bins that councils asks residents to sort their waste and recycling into, according to a survey of bin collection schemes published today (February 17) by the TaxPayers' Alliance.

The research shows that bin numbers range from nine in Newcastle-under Lyme to just one on the Isles of Scilly and in Dumfries and Galloway. Some 136 councils collect five or more bins, whereas only 161 collect three or fewer. 

In using the term ‘bins’ the Alliance says it is covering all containers into which residents are required to sort their waste, whether they are bags, bins or caddies.

'Bin police' and numbers of bins have often featured in some of the national press in recent months and today's report appears in The Daily Mail, for example.

The Alliance has taken a strong stance on the number of bins and regulation and describes itself as 'Britain’s independent grassroots campaign for lower taxes'. It also appears to be a strong supporter of communities secretary Eric Pickles.

Recently, in referring to new proposals by Mr Pickles, the Alliance criticised the Local Government Association, saying: “The Local Government Association has been whinging that the rules shows that the Government is not truly committed to localism but this is a pathetic attack – and it’s a line they seem to use every time Eric Pickles makes an announcement.'

Bin police

The findings of the study announced today show that the large number of bins in some areas, according to the Alliance, is acting as a burden on taxpayers. It claims that taxpayers are required to sort out a range of materials and can be fined up to £100 by 'bin police' if they do not do this correctly.

However, council leaders and environmental leaders were today quick to rush to the defence of their services, pointing out that consulting and communicating with residents was the most important thing and that some containers – such as those for textiles and batteries – were only collected when residents requested it.

Different

Councillor Gary Porter, chairman of the Local Government Association Environment Board, said: “There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to bins. The infrastructure for dealing with waste differs across the country, so do the types of homes people live in. What works in inner-city London won't necessarily work in rural areas. This means that bin collections will inevitably be different across the country.

“Working with residents, councils have to find appropriate ways of cutting the amount of rubbish being thrown in the ground. This might mean having a number of different bins, it might not. It's about what works for local people and what gives them the best value for money.”

The key findings of the research were:

• The average number of bins into which residents in the UK are required to sort their waste is four.
• 21 councils collect seven or more bins.
• 58 councils collect six or more bins.
• 136 councils collect five or more bins, whereas 161 councils collect three or fewer.
• The council with the highest number of bins for collection is Newcastle-under-Lyme with nine.
• The councils that collect the fewest bins are Dumfries and Galloway and Isles of Scilly with one. In addition, just 17 councils collect two bins.
• The average number of bins collected in England is four, Scotland is four, Wales is five and
• Northern Ireland is three.

The Alliance said that local authorities were under increasing pressure to collect materials because of the EU Landfill Directive – which it said “went too far”.

Chris Daniel, policy analyst at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: “Having to sort rubbish into numerous bins often frustrates taxpayers, even if they want to recycle. It's ridiculous that some councils ask for waste to be sorted into seven bins or more; this places needless pressure on households and isn't a good way of encouraging recycling.

“Meddling EU rules mean that councils can't send too much to landfill, but plenty of local authorities cope with three bins, so there's no reason others can't cope too. We need to reject EU rules like this when they go too far and aren't in the interests of ordinary families”.

Sorting

Alongside the LGA, initial responses to the report came from Friends of the Earth and the Campaign for Real Recycling. The two bodies stressed that residents having to sort recyclables into a number of bins was not equivalent to sorting recyclables at the kerbside – of which they are both advocates. They said that accordingly the sorting by residents and sorting at the kerbside should not be considered as similar.

Friends of the Earth's waste campaigner, Julian Kirby said:”While some people are frustrated by complicated sorting systems, the Taxpayers' Alliance are missing the point – we don't need lots of bins to have a good recycling service.

“In the simplest, cheapest and most effective services the bin men sort recyclables from one or two bins into multi-compartment trucks so householders dont have to.”

Andy Moore, Campaign for Real Recycling co-ordinator, added: “The Campaign welcomes the statement by Friends of the Earth. Sorting materials does not have to be complicated for the householder.

“The best recycling systems should be easy to use and maintain the quality of the material. We encourage systems that believe the public can play a role in maximising the economic value of their recyclables, this can be achieved with relatively few containers.”