Online petition calls for rethink on plans
A PETITION has been launched against council proposals to move black bin collections to once every three weeks.
Stockport Council, which was the first in Greater Manchester to introduce smaller bins for non-recyclable waste, is proposing to move to collections once every three weeks to help find £13m in cuts for next year.
More than 1,500 people have signed an online petition on change.org calling for a rethink on the plans, which were due to be discussed at an executive meeting as the Express went to press.
Comments on the petition included: “We already recycle nearly everything that it is possible to recycle and we don’t buy much processed food at all, yet our black bin is still overflowing each fortnight.
“It’s a nightmare now if we miss a collection due to holidays, but under the proposed scheme anyone on holiday during black-bin week wouldn’t have their rubbish emptied for six weeks?!”
Meanwhile, Councillor Syd Lloyd, leader of the Conservatives said the party would be asking the executive meeting for evidence that the changes would actually make a difference to recycling rates, when the borough already has the second highest rate of recycling in Greater Manchester.
He says that while he is not against a review of the service as a whole, he had concerns about reducing residents’ black bin capacity from 70 litres a week to 60.
Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Iain Roberts said: “We are very concerned that this proposal will cause inconvenience to our residents, will see an increase in fly-tipping and spilled waste from over-full bins as well as smelly bins through the summer months which will only be collected every third week.
“We are not convinced that these changes will lead to more recycling and we do not believe that they will save money.”
The Express’ Facebook page was also inundated with comments from Stockport residents overwhelmingly against the proposals.
Melanie Jayne Bates wrote: “Until supermarkets are enforced to reduce excess packaging and nappies are biodegradable then I think this is a stupid idea.”
Fortnightly collections could stop next winter once households are provided with slightly bigger, 180 litre black bins.
The current wheelie bins are 140 litres.