'It's a non-starter' as monthly bin collection proposal slammed

Bristol Live readers have been having their say on the recent suggestion from Bristol City Council to move bin collections to once every four weeks has ignited frustration among city residents. There are growing fears about a possible rise in fly-tipping and bad smells due to the less frequent service.

The council needs to make savings amid rising waste service costs - and also wants to improve recycling rates. But residents are concerned about fly tipping and stinky bins.

Locals including Hannah Winter and Sharif Hussain have voiced their doubts. Hannah remarks: "They already shrank the size of the bins and for the average family it won't work."

While our own readers have taken to our comments section to add their thoughts, with Grockel1 writing: "They also forget the disabled who need routine/structure yet the three/four-weekly black bin collection will induce more upset/stress."

Thecookedsock believes: "Increasing recycling rates and saving money after 14 years of Tory austerity. To be honest, if you are filling a black bin in 2 weeks, you are exactly the problem this is going to solve."

Berklicker adds: "I live in a block of 12 flats on a main road already blighted by flytipping, there is no recycling on our street at all, we are the only people on our street that have wheelie bins and for 12 years they have always been collected weekly but not ever on the day the waste company says it will be. I may as well just fly tip if my collections become monthly."

Muttsnuts thinks: "Stop wasting money on cycle lanes and use it for stuff people need like waste collections, social care etc."

SydLexia says: "At one time you couldn't leave your bicycle or lawnmower within 20 yards of your dustbin without it vanishing on collection day. Now councils have an ever growing list of things they won't take or let you bring to the tip and wonder why fly tipping is rife.

"They also used ro mend roads, now they do everything they can to stop drivers using the roads. They complain of being financially stretched yet employ Chief Executives, Directors of Strategic Planning, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion panjandrums, HR departments and hordes of admin assistants and other drones who don't do anything at all.

"What services they do provide is outsourced to private companies who often don't do it very well probably 80% of council jobs could be axed without anyone noticing, particularly the party political ones. 50 years ago councils provided basic services and didn't intrude in our daily lives, now they're in our faces with their ULEZ LTNs and other political initiatives. We don't want or need it."

Junius1 adds: "It's a draft proposal with others that will be put to public consultation before any proposal is chosen. The consultation is yet to start but it looks as though BCC will get the strong message back that 4 weeks is a non-starter. One of the questions about increased operating costs of waste collection, in the context of the government's increase in employer national insurance contributions and lowering the threshhold at which they start, is the wisdom of the council having set up an arms length company of its own which is not exempt from such increases."

Brizzlebabber replies: "When has BCC taken any notice of feedback from consultations? LTN is a recent example. Where I live a very well attended public meeting was held over parking permits. The overwhelming consensus from residents was no thank you. Of course they took no notice. Someone took direct action. The restriction signs were painted over. Replaced but painted over again. They remain painted over."

Amunra61 believes: "Families and student houses will probably find this difficult especially if you miss putting your bins out one week which has happened in my small block of flats."

Celandine replies: "Or if you happen to be on holiday the week of black bin collection."

Brizzlebee thinks: "This is a terrible idea. If the council implement it they may as well save a bit more money by closing the recycling centres as the city will be strewn with rubbish anyway. Waste collection should be absolutely the last thing cut."

Silverastra140 states: "Just put everything in the recycling bags? Most of it goes off to Asia to end up in the sea or being burnt anyway so what’s the point in sorting it and having smelly black bags hanging around for weeks? Councils love making people live in small houses and flats but take no consideration in people having to find room for 3 or 4 bins."

So would you be happy with monthly black bin collections? Let us know in the comments below or HERE