Tories urge more expensive rubbish contract and less recycling
Conservative councillors have urged the Executive to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds more on a rubbish collection service that would collect less recycling and increase the landfill taxes and fines that the council has to pay.
The surprise move came at the April 3 Scrutiny Panel which examined the proposed new recycling and rubbish collection contract. The Lib Dem proposals would increase door-step recycling collections to once a week, add cardboard and kitchen waste to the service, and collect any remaining landfill waste once a fortnight.
The Panel heard evidence from local environmentalists that around 150 councils across the country increased recycling by an average of 30% when they moved to fortnightly landfill waste collection, while doorstep recycling increased by 50% under the Berrylands trial scheme of weekly recycling and fortnightly landfill waste collection.
Conservatives back down
Conservative councillors reversed their promise to provide weekly landfill waste collection for the same price as the Lib Dem proposals when it became clear that their preferred contractor would be unable to deliver the service. Instead, they asked the Executive to carry out a costly borough-wide consultation on bin collection schedules.
Recycling up 50% in trial
Commenting, Cllr Liz Green (Executive Member for the Environment and Sustainability) said:
"The evidence from last night's meeting was clear. Of the best performing recycling councils in the country, 19 out of 20 collect landfill waste fortnightly. Councils that have done this increased recycling by an average of 30%. And when we trialled our new system in Berrylands, door-step recycling went up by 50%.
"The Tory option would be a double whammy for local taxpayers. Doubling the number of landfill waste collections would add millions of pounds to waste collection costs, and landfill tax payments would soar. This could push council tax bills through the roof.
"Another consultation exercise would be an expensive red herring. We carried out a 12 month trial scheme in Berrylands, and MORI conducted an independent survey which showed that 66% of people who took part were fairly or very satisfied. It is time to stop talking and start acting.
"If we are serious about doing our bit for the environment, we have to be bold. 150 other councils successfully collect landfill waste on alternate weeks. I'm sure that it won't take long for Kingston residents to adapt to the new system, too."
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