LAST week there were two letters regarding
recycling worthy of comment.
Firstly, the proposal by Forest of Dean District Council to introduce wheelie bins. Why? It has to be the most expensive and unnecessary option. One wheelie bin? No.
It inevitably involves different colour bins for different materials. Apart from the considerable cost as raised by Margaret Walker, what happens if you live in a flat or a terraced house with a small yard? Where are these to be stored as they take up space even when not in use?
Look no further than the Monmouthshire County Council system which removes weekly all waste including plastic, in sacks of different colours, except food waste, which is collected in a small sealable bin. Garden cuttings have the option of using large collapsible nylon bags owned and retained by the householder, or for light cardboard, paper and leaves, a starch bio-degradable sack.
Which brings me to Mr M. Garner's letter. Whilst I totally agree with his view on those who are too idle to recycle at all, I cannot perceive how he apparently has no food waste. Does he not peel or prepare vegetables, or expect others not to?
Does he enjoy potato peel soup? I am fortunate enough to have a garden where I can compost our peelings etc so do not need to put out this waste for collection, but as I said above, some households are forced to.
When our family stay, I am obliged to add disposable nappies to my rubbish sack. Unfortunately this seems to be the case, whereas when we had young children, nappies were washed and bleached and the waste poured down the toilet. Perhaps we need to encourage this.
All in all, it seems good practice is not shared between councils. – Alan Braund, Fitzosborn Close, Chepstow.