Bin collection policy has support of residents

FAR from being a penalty, (Yorkshire Post, November 26), the alternate weekly collections are at the request of our residents who are keen recyclers.

Suggestions they are a reduction in the quality of service provided is just not borne out by the facts.

When the new service is up 
and running from the end of 
next year, East Riding residents will have three bins, 78 
collections a year and a 
recycling rate among the highest in the country.

Compare that with 2004 when residents had one bin, 
51 collections a year and a recycling rate of 18 per cent.

During the trial, which started earlier this year and covered 20,000 households, the amount of waste in the blue recycling bin went up by 30 per cent; the waste in the green landfill bin went down by 35 per cent.

The recycling rate in the trial area has been 70 per cent compared with 60 per cent in the non-trial area.

Our residents on the alternate weekly trial have demonstrated their approval by recycling even more waste, saving valuable resources like glass and metals. At the same time by sending less to landfill they have saved council taxpayers’ money which would have had to be spent on landfill tax.

This ensures efficiencies in the service allowing funds to be maintained on other pressing needs, like flood protection, at a time when Government is cutting back on the funds it provides for councils.