Variable Charging for Waste Collection

[Darren Reynolds]

THE GOVERNMENT is planning to allow Councils to charge people different amounts for collecting their rubbish based on how much rubbish is in their bins.

Under the scheme:

• People with less rubbish would pay less
• People with more rubbish would pay more.

What do you think of the Government's idea?

Did you know that more than half of all rubbish that ends up in landfill is packaging? What do you think should be done, if anything?

[Robert]

Make packaging more recyclable. Or extend recycling to cover the sorts of plastics which we havn't the equipment yet to recycle (if this is the case).

I assume this is what all the chips in bins are for. I can't see it working or people accepting the "bill" they get for rubbish.

[Neal]

Originally Posted by Darren Reynolds

THE GOVERNMENT is planning to allow Councils to charge people different amounts for collecting their rubbish based on how much rubbish is in their bins.





Under the scheme:

• People with less rubbish would pay less
• People with more rubbish would pay more.

What do you think of the Government's idea?

Did you know that more than half of all rubbish that ends up in landfill is packaging? What do you think should be done, if anything?

This is what Council Tax should pay for in my opinion, but, what about the companies that make all the packaging for products that we HAVE TO USE to eat and live? It's not out fault the producers use too much packaging or use items that can't be recycled. We are being charged for using life's essentials.

The only thing I can think of that doesn't come in too much packaging are produce, such as fruit and veg (If you buy them each!). I can't live off just an apple.

Also, the problem of charging people for how much rubbish they have will lead to people dumping their rubbish either on the street, or in a bin belonging to someone else.

Can I also ask, will people on benefits have to pay for this also (I mean those who should be working and who just can't be bothered, not those who are really unable to work), or will they be able to dump as much as they want and have the tax payer pay for it?

[cheeky monkey]

Originally Posted by Darren Reynolds

THE GOVERNMENT is planning to allow Councils to charge people different amounts for collecting their rubbish based on how much rubbish is in their bins.


Under the scheme:

• People with less rubbish would pay less
• People with more rubbish would pay more.

What do you think of the Government's idea?

Did you know that more than half of all rubbish that ends up in landfill is packaging? What do you think should be done, if anything?

Well in principle it sounds a good idea, but underneath is another stealth tax, I dont think it would be fair on Asian families as they have a lot more children, so will have more waste, Maybe for them you could do what the council did last year and arrange a weekly collection for them of "kitchen waste" What exactly is "Kitchen waste"? maybe we have some as well and could get funding to pick ours up on a weekly basis, Just a thought, Was it your ward where this happened Darren?
My thoughts are that all packaging should be made of recycled cardboard, not only is this plastic packaging murder to get into, it is dangerous, causing cuts, Also cardboard is still included with it, A fine example are printer cartridges, It seems to be more for display purposes than anything else.
Even sweet wrapers used to be paper. but now you see them blowing all over, at least paper decomposes.

[Robert]

I just think the whole bin thing has gone to far. It was all planned in secret and the message when it first started was wholly condescending inferring that that we are too stupid to want to recycle so the current method will force you.

The recycling is all nonsense anyway, it's just all target meeting to avoid fines and then its shipped to china where they could nuke it if they so wished. So much for the environment.

[Lordmagic]

Originally Posted by Neal

This is what Council Tax should pay for in my opinion, but, what about the companies that make all the packaging for products that we HAVE TO USE to eat and live? It's not out fault the producers use too much packaging or use items that can't be recycled. We are being charged for using life's essentials.

The only thing I can think of that doesn't come in too much packaging are produce, such as fruit and veg (If you buy them each!). I can't live off just an apple.

Also, the problem of charging people for how much rubbish they have will lead to people dumping their rubbish either on the street, or in a bin belonging to someone else.

Can I also ask, will people on benefits have to pay for this also (I mean those who should be working and who just can't be bothered, not those who are really unable to work), or will they be able to dump as much as they want and have the tax payer pay for it?

Exactly.......... Manufacturers should pay the premium for excessive packaging not the consumer..... Another new tax = another burden to hard working citizens.

Why can't councils set up their own profitable recycling plants which make considerable amounts of money which = profit and in turn pass this down to the tax payer = cheaper taxation or refund depending on the amount recycled by the said household, this would surely be a fairer and more constructive way in dealing with waste!

Poor planning and management = increased taxation to the taxable!!!

What a set of monkeys we have in power.

[Darren Reynolds]

Some good ideas on here I think. Keep them coming. I'll propose them to other councillors.

[Robert]

Extra council tax charge is rubbished! - Burnley Express

Priority at the moment I suspect for many would be weekly collections although I would be more than happy with a compromise of weekly bin collections and fortnightly recycling, which I've seen work well in councils around here.

Any updates on refuse collection etc. more than welcome.

[WillowTheWhisp]

It's a stupid idea. It penalises the wrong people. It's not as if you and I sit in our kitchens manufacturing the rubbish. We do not want it.It is foist upon us when we buy things. We have to get rid of it somehow.Charging people for disposing of it legally and sensibly will only backfire and result in more fly tipping.

What they should be doing is tackling the problem at source and discouraging all the pointless packaging. Mind you once of a day you could buy a thing and just get it in a paper bag. Now it comes in a blister pack to combat theft. How do you solve that one?

[Weehen]

I like the idea which is slowly taking hold in America of removing extraneous packaging once you have paid for your shopping but before you leave the store. This will eventually get the message through to the manufacturers that we do not want to pay for the item we are purchasing and pay to have the packaging collected in our waste. It may also get the message across to them that we know we are buying a 3" tube of cream in that 7" cube of cardboard so why not package the 3" tube in a more appropriate way?
I also think that all this kerfuffle about bin collections and paying by weight etc is yet another deliberate attempt at stressing us out so that when we get to the point where we cannot afford to buy as much food as we do at present (prices are rising as we look at things on the shelves!) we will all heave a sigh of relief that even if we are hungry the rubbish bill has gone down enormously!
Today I read that binmen (no they are not refuse technicians or whatever - they are binmen!) will not remove and empty a bin unless they can do so with only two fingers. If the bin is too heavy for this then it could cause injury etc blah blah blah.
We really have bred a race of woosies in the past few decades.
If you are paying council tax you are paying for refuse removal end of story. Councils up and down the country need to stop paying out so much in pensions to themselves, freebie trips, buying pieces of 'sculpture' and all the rest of it and use the taxes they collect for the purpose they are collected.

[terminator]

I am of a mind to invite the operational manager in charge of refuse collection to leave his office and follow the refuse lorry on collection day. Why? one bin is all I put out for the refuse collection clearly painted with my house number on,further down the street there are two and three bins for each property deligently collected by the refuse lorry also black bags and broken furniture. Does that mean that these households are paying extra? on their council tax or am I just a fool who thinks that everything is above board and fair?

On a more light hearted note my own grandfather was a refuse collector who used to tell us stories about the wealthy refuse and the ordinary rubbish! rough end of town all you got was tea leaves down your neck but up the other side of town their were rich? pickings in their refuse.

Sadly I remember the tales about how my mother and grandmother would wait at the entrance to the council yard for grandad to come out with his wages,he used to duck out the other entrance with his pittance and head for the Queens Head,spent most of the evening toasting the Queens Head?

When my mother used to say that she was hungry he used to say 'go and lick the steam off the bakers window,apparently flavoured condensation was a delicacy? come down to the Queens Head he would say and I will treat you to an arrowroot biscuit and a glass of lemonade.

Our refuse collectors should have a tally list that states quite clearly the property number and the number of bins,black bags and general rubbish,if the occupier cannot be bothered to recycle then let our council send out a bill to the occupier for an unreasonable amount of rubbish collected.

Trade Waste equals fly tipping? another reason to persecute the individual or small business.

Future tax iniatives?

Having a baby?
Getting married?
Getting sick and becoming a burden on the state?
Death?
Belonging to a trade union?
Belonging to the political party in opposition?

Any ideas?

[Weehen]

Why can't councils set up their own profitable recycling plants which make considerable amounts of money which = profit and in turn pass this down to the tax payer = cheaper taxation or refund depending on the amount recycled by the said household, this would surely be a fairer and more constructive way in dealing with waste

Any profit would see a rise in their already healthy pensions it would not be passed back to the taxpayers. Councils dont work that way (I could have left off the last two words!).

Maybe for them you could do what the council did last year and arrange a weekly collection for them of "kitchen waste" What exactly is "Kitchen waste"? maybe we have some as well and could get funding to pick ours up on a weekly basis, Just a thought, Was it your ward where this happened Darren?

Did this really happen? Where? Can I find out more anywhere online?