One wheelie bin is all you get

Refuse collectors will be under strict instructions to empty the wheelie bins but ignore any extra rubbish left.

The radical overhaul of the weekly rubbish collection system is being introduced by North Wiltshire District Council in a bid to reduce landfill and boost re-use and recycling.

Over the next two years, every household in the district will be supplied with a wheelie bin free of charge, while at the same time kerbside collections of recyclable bottles, newspapers and cans will be introduced.

Already some residents are alarmed about the new plans.

While many understand the need to cut waste, householders are concerned the new measures could lead to rubbish fouling the streets, and fly tipping.

They have also raised concerns about the fairness of the scheme when a household could have one member or half a dozen.

"For a long, long time, our bin men have taken anything and everything and it will take a lot for people to get used to," said Melanie Scott, team leader for cleansing and amenities at the district council.

"This is about changing people's hearts and minds and their attitude to recycling."

It is estimated that it will cost £1.2 million to supply every household in the district with a wheelie bin and last week the council's executive committee agreed that officers should seek quotes from companies to supply them.

The new regime will be phased in from next spring and is expected to take two years to put in place.

The committee also agreed to limit the amount of garden rubbish collected to two sacks per household.

The district council has to meet the Government's targets to recycle ten per cent of rubbish by 2003/4 and 18 per cent by 2005/6. Currently North Wiltshire recycles just 8.6 per cent.

The 52,000 households in north Wiltshire produce 61,000 tonnes of rubbish every year.

On a weekly basis this is enough to fill the Olympiad Leisure Centre in Chippenham after it has been compacted to a quarter of its original size.

"There are various funds available to pay for this and we will be applying for them," said Mrs Scott.

"We expect to start handing out the bins at the beginning of the next financial year and we will only take what fits in the bin. It will be a case of if it doesn't fit in the bin, the rubbish lorries won't take it."

Until now, the district council has encouraged people to take recyclable goods to the collection points at supermarkets and the household recycling centres at Stanton St Quintin and Purton. "Now we need to go further to get more people involved," said Mrs Scott.

"We need to look at those people who wouldn't even think about recycling and ultimately that means kerbside recycling collections.

"I hope within two years kerbside recycling and wheelie bins will be in operation across the district."

She said if similar schemes could work in places like Plymouth and Daventry, there was no reason why they couldn't in north Wiltshire.

"We want this to be introduced in such a way that people are recycling for the right reason, and that is to help the environment," she added.

But opposition councillor Toby Sturgis said the proposals had not been properly thought through.

"The proposals are totally lacking in financial information," he said.

"North Wiltshire has got the most expensive waste collection anywhere I know of as it is.

"These bins will make collections take longer because it takes longer to wait for the bins to be lifted up, yet they chuck black bags in fast as they like."

Conservative Coun Sturgis said he was not confident recycling would be improved sufficiently to make a difference.

"They say this will cut down the amount of rubbish but these bins are actually pretty big so it might not.

"Of course it will be tidier because there won't be bags being broken into by foxes and dogs, but I also think the number of households who put out mountains of bin bags are in the minority."

He added: "There has been no thought about the houses that can't have bins or people who might want smaller bins."

singleton@newswilts.co.uk