Are weekly bin collections a "basic right"?

[digglydog]

The council need to do a survey asking people what services they think are more important so that they can prioritise services. Once they get the results in, they can simply spend money on the important services first and foremost, then on the services that are less important to people. When the money for the year is spent, that's it, no more services.

 

So if you are a disabled person relying on services to get you out of bed and give you a meal ,you can just stay in bed and starve. Hey ,at least your bin will be empty.

[top4718]

So if you are a disabled person relying on services to get you out of bed and give you a meal ,you can just stay in bed and starve. Hey ,at least your bin will be empty.

 

Why do most of us in this country assume that if we use money from one pot the other pot has to stay empty, these councils are awash with money (see the Icelandic banking collapse for evidence), council tax is way more than it needs to be due to huge salaries paid to clueless idiots who waste millions (the Sheffield Road fiasco is a good example). Council offices are stuffed to the rafters with people doing non-jobs and very highly paid "consultants".

 

Far more services were offered years ago for much less money in "rates".

 

All the councils do is blame the government who in turn blame the councils and both sides do very well indeed out of the whole arrangement while the hard working public foot the bill for shoddy or non existant "services".

 

If the councils are so keen on recycling get rid of some of the makeweights and set up a department to sort it.

 

Its disgusting to leave rotting food in bins for 14 days (in some cases) in a supposed rich forward thinking country (supposed being the key word).

 

Get your act together councils and start providing the services that you are handsomely paid for.

[digglydog]

Why do most of us in this country assume that if we use money from one pot the other pot has to stay empty, these councils are awash with money (see the Icelandic banking collapse for evidence), council tax is way more than it needs to be due to huge salaries paid to clueless idiots who waste millions (the Sheffield Road fiasco is a good example). Council offices are stuffed to the rafters with people doing non-jobs and very highly paid "consultants".

 

Far more services were offered years ago for much less money in "rates".

 

All the councils do is blame the government who in turn blame the councils and both sides do very well indeed out of the whole arrangement while the hard working public foot the bill for shoddy or non existant "services".

 

If the councils are so keen on recycling get rid of some of the makeweights and set up a department to sort it.

 

Its disgusting to leave rotting food in bins for 14 days (in some cases) in a supposed rich forward thinking country (supposed being the key word).

 

Get your act together councils and start providing the services that you are handsomely paid for.

 

How much rotting food do you put in your bin?. Hardly any goes in mine and any that does, is properly wrapped to avoid unpleasant smells. I put my bin out about once a month. Personally ,I think it is better to concentrate resources on essential ,like care for the vulnerable than to pander to those who are too lazy to dispose of their waste properly

[top4718]

How much rotting food do you put in your bin?. Hardly any goes in mine and any that does, is properly wrapped to avoid unpleasant smells. I put my bin out about once a month. Personally ,I think it is better to concentrate resources on essential ,like care for the vulnerable than to pander to those who are too lazy to dispose of their waste properly

 

What other services are you happy to pay for but not have provided.

[Phanerothyme]

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles reckons they are.

 

He is to unveil an extra £250million fund to encourage councils to maintain or restart weekly bin collection.

 

I'd have thought there were many more worthwhile things that £250million could have been spent on, more "basic rights" than having a half empty bin emptied every week,

 

Or am I wrong? Do you feel your basic rights would be violated by not having your bins emptied every week?

 

I'd rather have my bin emptied once a fortnight and keep the Tevatron open for another 10 years.

[Andy]

Down here in Bromley we have to purchase our own bins - they are not provided by the council.

 

However, we do have a separate little bin for waste food which is collected weekly and composted. This solves the problem of food being left to rot in the black bin for a fortnight in between collections.

 

We have 4 bins. Week one they take food, paper and non-recycling and week two they take food, paper and recycling (tins, plastic bottles and glass). Seems to work and I think there are a lot better things we could spend £250million on than a job creation scheme for dustmen.

[Pidgeon]

Spend the 250m on encouraging manufacturers to reduce the amount of packaging they use. Close the gate before the horse has bolted so to speak.

[Andy]

Spend the 250m on encouraging manufacturers to reduce the amount of packaging they use. Close the gate before the horse has bolted so to speak.

 

That is a good idea but rather then encourage; force.

 

Wales have introduced a 5p charge for all carrier bags. We should introduce a similar charge for supermarkets who use excessive packaging. I appreciate it would be passed onto customers but it would give the stores an incentive to reduce the amount of plastic they use in order to be able to offer more competitive prices.