As a regular visitor to your website and a keen supporter of recycling initiatives I have to write in defence of the Southern Daily Echo, mentioned in your feature “Explanation of twin-bin collection service leads to support” (see letsrecycle.com story, 18/09/03).
For the past month the Daily Echo has been putting forward a balanced argument for and against the twin-bin system. The fact that Southampton is a neighbour of Eastleigh is a determining factor in the stance the paper has taken which is to try to keep a weekly general refuse collection in addition to kerbside recycling. Eastleigh Borough Council may say the alternate week collection is successful but the truth is it is continuing to cause misery for many Eastleigh residents.
In November 2002, with the full support of a local Residents' Association, I launched the Campaign for Weekly Waste Collection. I firmly believe that the alternate week scheme endangers public health – in summer months the most hygienic of people find maggots in their bins and the life cycle of the fly permits them to mature into adults within the 14 days awaiting collection. Rats are another major problem. These are being attracted by side-waste and by the kitchen waste placed in compost heaps or bins.
There are incidences when rats have been found nesting in council-supplied compost bins and, in at least one case, when the householder was advised to place the bin on
hard paving the rats chewed straight through to return inside.
In November and December 2001 I conducted a local survey by visiting 139 homes in Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh. Of those, 118 signatures (one per household) were obtained on a petition – an 85% dissatisfaction with the fortnightly collection of general waste. This was five years into the “successful” scheme. The petition was delivered to the Head of Environmental Health in January 2002, written concerns were expressed about the perceived increase in rat sightings. The petition was denied and three months later a 35 charge for pest control treatment of rats was introduced!
Please do not take my word but ask the Daily Echo to forward you copies of letters sent by Eastleigh residents – it is very clear that there are major flaws in this method of refuse collection.
Unfortunately, the alternate week collection is being introduced by more councils – but not without problems. I am aware of at least three local papers running campaigns against it. As well as the Daily Echo's “What a Waste” campaign, the Chichester Observer has a “Bluebottle” campaign and the Sudbury Today paper has a “We want it once a week” campaign.
With regard to the Mori Poll explanation, it is noted that residents were not actually told that their waste would remain uncollected for 14 days, 15 days when Bank Holidays occur, 21 days or more over Christmas and New Year and if a householder's holiday is not planned with waste collection in mind, general perishable waste can remain uncollected for up to four weeks!
Yours sincerely
Doretta Cocks BSc (Environmental Sciences)
Campaign for Weekly Waste Collection
Chandlers Ford
Eastleigh
Hampshire
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