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Press Release

LGA responds to Taxpayers' Alliance bins survey

17 February 2011

Responding to the Taxpayers' Alliance survey of the number of bins councils ask residents to use, Cllr Gary Porter, Chairman of the Local Government Association Environment Board, said:

“There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to bins. The infrastructure for dealing with waste differs across the country, so do the types of homes people live in. What works in inner-city London won't necessarily work in rural areas. This means that bin collections will inevitably be different across the country.

“The systems which prove to have worked best are those where councils have consulted and communicated well with their residents. Many areas that have introduced separate waste collections have not only scored highly in public satisfaction surveys but they have increased recycling rates and saved council taxpayers money.

“Some of these containers, such as garden waste and textiles, will not be used on a regular basis but as and when householders need them.

“We cannot escape the fact that we can no longer throw away our rubbish without worrying about the environmental or financial consequences. Taxpayers face huge European Union financial penalties if targets to reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfill are not met.

“At a time when council budgets are already under extreme pressure, councils will not want to spend money on unnecessary bins so that they can meet recycling targets and avoid being hit by heavy European Union fines.

“Working with residents, councils have to find appropriate ways of cutting the amount of rubbish being thrown in the ground. This might mean having a number of different bins, it might not. It's about what works for local people and what gives them the best value for money.”



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