real6
09-09-2009, 06:38 PM
Council introduces extra-small 'bonsai' wheelie bins... and will fine homeowners £5,000 for failing to use them
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1212252/Council-introduces-extra-small-bonsai-wheelie-bins--plans-fine-homeowners-5-000-leave-extra-rubbish-out.html
Families are to be made to cram their rubbish into tiny 'bonsai bins' in a new drive to make people cut the amount of rubbish they put out.
The shrinking bin experiment will see the standard-sized 240 litre wheelie bins used by 150,000 homes removed and replaced by the 'bonsai' versions.
The new bins will mean that each member of of family of five will be allowed to put out no more weekly non-recycling rubbish than can be forced into a meagre 18 litres of volume.
The bonsai bin system is planned in Bristol where the Liberal Democrat council aims to cut the amount of refuse its sends to landfill and 'encourage' to put out less waste that cannot be recycled.
Enlarge smaller 180-litre wheelie bin i
Big brother's little brother: Brostol's new smaller 140-litre wheelie bin, right,next to a normal 240-litre bin. Homeowners who leave extra rubbish in bin bags could face criminal prosecution
But the pattern looks set to be copied around the country. The city is one of the first to operate the Government's favoured model for future rubbish services - a weekly collection of food waste with other rubbish picked up by the binmen once a fortnight.
City leaders will vote on shrinking the bins next week.
Council waste chief Gary Hopkins said: 'We will not have one size bin for everyone - it will be a case of varying the size to suit people's needs.
'There are a lot of people who would prefer a smaller bin. We will be looking at circumstances so that larger families such as mothers with young babies in nappies will be able to get a larger bin.'
The unpopularity of bin rules has been highlighted by the Daily Mail's Not in My Front Yard campaign pressing for families and householders to get a choice over whether they have wheelie bins or other rubbish collection methods.
The bonsai bin allowances will mean that 240 litre bins for general rubbish that is not for recycling will be replaced by 140 litre versions for couples or people living alone. Households with between three and five people will get 180 litre bins.
That means that each member of a family of five will get 36 litres of rubbish space a fortnight, compared with the 140 litres for somebody living on their own.
Bristol residents will also get a brown bin for their weekly food waste collection, and kitchen slopbuckets to put the food waste into before they tip it into the brown bin. Garden waste is also collected once a week.
Council chiefs are firm that binmen will not pick up any extra rubbish and those who break the rules by leaving out more than their allowance will face prosecution and fines of up to £5,000 for fly-tipping.
The shrinking bin scheme brought protests from local opponents and taxpayer pressure groups.
Labour councillor Mark Bradshaw said: 'I wonder if this is a step towards a chipped bin recording the amount of waste and frequency of collection, with a charge for those who fail to reduce their level of waste?
'I also wonder how families, in particular, may find what eventually becomes a mandatory downsizing of their bins and find it too challenging.'
Doretta Cocks of the Campaign for Weekly Waste Collection, said it also raises the prospect of ordinary families facing criminal charges for fly-tipping.
She said: 'This is another example of the Government's barmy views about waste.
'The introduction of smaller bins will lead to fines because people will be forced to leave their rubbish in bags on the street.
'It will also make people more inclined to fly-tip, which flies in the face of what the council is trying to achieve.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1212252/Council-introduces-extra-small-bonsai-wheelie-bins--plans-fine-homeowners-5-000-leave-extra-rubbish-out.html#ixzz0QdFtj2Ni
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1212252/Council-introduces-extra-small-bonsai-wheelie-bins--plans-fine-homeowners-5-000-leave-extra-rubbish-out.html
Families are to be made to cram their rubbish into tiny 'bonsai bins' in a new drive to make people cut the amount of rubbish they put out.
The shrinking bin experiment will see the standard-sized 240 litre wheelie bins used by 150,000 homes removed and replaced by the 'bonsai' versions.
The new bins will mean that each member of of family of five will be allowed to put out no more weekly non-recycling rubbish than can be forced into a meagre 18 litres of volume.
The bonsai bin system is planned in Bristol where the Liberal Democrat council aims to cut the amount of refuse its sends to landfill and 'encourage' to put out less waste that cannot be recycled.
Enlarge smaller 180-litre wheelie bin i
Big brother's little brother: Brostol's new smaller 140-litre wheelie bin, right,next to a normal 240-litre bin. Homeowners who leave extra rubbish in bin bags could face criminal prosecution
But the pattern looks set to be copied around the country. The city is one of the first to operate the Government's favoured model for future rubbish services - a weekly collection of food waste with other rubbish picked up by the binmen once a fortnight.
City leaders will vote on shrinking the bins next week.
Council waste chief Gary Hopkins said: 'We will not have one size bin for everyone - it will be a case of varying the size to suit people's needs.
'There are a lot of people who would prefer a smaller bin. We will be looking at circumstances so that larger families such as mothers with young babies in nappies will be able to get a larger bin.'
The unpopularity of bin rules has been highlighted by the Daily Mail's Not in My Front Yard campaign pressing for families and householders to get a choice over whether they have wheelie bins or other rubbish collection methods.
The bonsai bin allowances will mean that 240 litre bins for general rubbish that is not for recycling will be replaced by 140 litre versions for couples or people living alone. Households with between three and five people will get 180 litre bins.
That means that each member of a family of five will get 36 litres of rubbish space a fortnight, compared with the 140 litres for somebody living on their own.
Bristol residents will also get a brown bin for their weekly food waste collection, and kitchen slopbuckets to put the food waste into before they tip it into the brown bin. Garden waste is also collected once a week.
Council chiefs are firm that binmen will not pick up any extra rubbish and those who break the rules by leaving out more than their allowance will face prosecution and fines of up to £5,000 for fly-tipping.
The shrinking bin scheme brought protests from local opponents and taxpayer pressure groups.
Labour councillor Mark Bradshaw said: 'I wonder if this is a step towards a chipped bin recording the amount of waste and frequency of collection, with a charge for those who fail to reduce their level of waste?
'I also wonder how families, in particular, may find what eventually becomes a mandatory downsizing of their bins and find it too challenging.'
Doretta Cocks of the Campaign for Weekly Waste Collection, said it also raises the prospect of ordinary families facing criminal charges for fly-tipping.
She said: 'This is another example of the Government's barmy views about waste.
'The introduction of smaller bins will lead to fines because people will be forced to leave their rubbish in bags on the street.
'It will also make people more inclined to fly-tip, which flies in the face of what the council is trying to achieve.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1212252/Council-introduces-extra-small-bonsai-wheelie-bins--plans-fine-homeowners-5-000-leave-extra-rubbish-out.html#ixzz0QdFtj2Ni