I felt I had to write following the article in the Evening Leader (March 16), 'Keep one bin policy to boost recycling push'. We have a three-storey bin which has sections for cans, bottles and paper/cardboard. The general refuse is collected once fortnightly, with the green bin collected the other week.
Our general bin is always full to overflowing, and my husband also has to take a trip to the tip as, although we recycle all the above items, our family of only four fill the general refuse bin easily within the fortnight.
The main thing that made me laugh about the recycling was when the garden refuse bin was collected after the Christmas period. We had only vegetable peelings in it. My husband put the bin out and then brought it back in after the collection – with the peelings unemptied.
I telephoned the council and asked why. The reply was they only take garden refuse, to which I explained that vegetables come from the ground.
The man said that where they deposited Wrexham's rubbish would only take grass cuttings, plants and tree cuttings!
I was horrified and said we were , when we lived in Pendine Park, one of the first to use the 'Recycle with Michael' scheme, have always participated and never had vegetable peelings refused.
We also help the council raise funds through recycling aluminium cans, etc.
My uncle, who lives in Rochester, Kent, has informed me that for every so many amounts of recycled products collected by the council from a particular area, they get plants/trees planted as thanks for that area.
The only reply I had from the council was 'Do you want me to get your green bin uplifted?' (ie removed from the property).
I find the attitude disgusting. We are doing our part, but get no respect in return.
Name Supplied,
High Street,
Gwersyllt,
Wrexham
* Response from John Bradbury, chief environment services officer, Wrexham County Borough Council.
The Council introduced the Recycle with Michael Scheme in 2002, the purpose of which was to:-
Protect the environment, ensure that resources are protected for the next generation and prevent the Council from being fined for not reaching its targets to avoid placing a greater burden on the ratepayer.
According to work commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government, 64% of the bin contents in Wales have a potential to be recycled/composted.
The Council therefore introduced a range of initiatives to bring recycling into the community and currently 92% of the Borough is on the Recycle with Michael Scheme. Wrexham has committed itself to ensuring all residents will be on the scheme by the end of the financial year 2007/08. Each householder will receive a 240 litre wheeled bin for domestic waste, a 240 litre green bin for garden waste, a 55 litre box for dry recyclables and a plastic bag for paper. The reasons why only garden waste can be taken currently and no kitchen waste (ie peelings) is due to the Animal By-product Legislation to prevent the likely outbreak of Foot and Mouth.
The Council employ Technical/Education Recycling Officers who are available to give advice to residents, whether it be by telephone or a home visit. The Council currently has 27 Bring Sites within the community for items that cannot be recycled at the kerbside (ie cardboard, books, textiles) and all are within easy reach of most residents.
The Council cannot increase its recycling rate alone and needs to work in partnership with the public if Wrexham is to succeed in reaching its targets. We hope that all residents will join in and take part in recycling, which will benefit the next generation.
Wrexham is always looking at ways of improving its services and hopefully, within the next few years, after the conclusion of the waste management facility, kitchen waste and cardboard can be collected in the green bin but this cannot take place until an in-vessel composting unit has been built in Wrexham.
The Solution... From Help Save Our Planet
The Kitchen Waste Composter System
The Kitchen Waste Composter is an odour-free air-tight container into which food waste is placed. Bokashi is added as a compost activator. This is a bran-based mixed culture of naturally occurring friendly micro-organisms. The food waste ferments in the bin, allowing it to then be safely composted. Resulting materials can be buried in soil, or placed in a traditional compost bin
Price £35.00 for complete kit
Boshaki Refill Bag £7.99 (600g)
Lasts approximately 2 months
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