Rubbish revolution

ONCE-a-week bin collections are set to be scrapped. A plan to introduce rubbish collections once every two weeks was expected to be unveiled today (Thursday). But it is understood that the loss of the once-a-week collections will give North Herts District

ONCE-a-week bin collections are set to be scrapped.

A plan to introduce rubbish collections once every two weeks was expected to be unveiled today (Thursday).

But it is understood that the loss of the once-a-week collections will give North Herts District Council the opportunity to increase recycling.

The new scheme was due to be outlined at a Press conference today when waste portfolio holder Councillor Lynda Needham was expected to unveil details about the change to bin collections.

The district council's Cabinet has already given the go-ahead for bin collections once every two weeks.

And the new scheme is likely to be introduced in October.

A council spokesman told The Crow earlier: "The changes are being introduced partly as a result of public demand.

"Public opinion as expressed in our surveys indicates strong support for more recycling," he said.

An extensive consultation exercise by Herts County Council showed "overwhelming support" for an increase in recycling.

"The precise details of what we recycle and how are determined by the prices charged by our contractors," said the spokesman.

Under the new scheme the district council is looking at kerbside collections for cans and greater use of an extended network of bottle banks.

In Royston, recycling centres have in recent years been set up in the town hall car park and at the Tesco superstore in Old North Road.

The district council claims the changes will prevent a rise in rubbish collection costs which include having to pay landfill taxes.

These are due to increase from £25-a-tonne to £150-a-tonne if the district council missed its recycling targets.

"We are running out of landfill sites and there is an overall need to reduce waste," said the spokesman.

A recent Local Government Association study revealed that councils that had dropped once-a-week bin collections had achieved higher recycling rates.

More than a third of councils - which includes South Cambridgeshire District Council - have abandoned once-a-week collections.

In South Cambridgeshire the amount of waste recycled is 49.4 per cent.

North Herts says there will be an "extensive communication programme" to ensure residents understand the new scheme and "are prepared for it".

A recent report from Cranfield University said there was not any evidence to suggest that alternative week bin collections cause "any significant health impacts".