Brown bin collection - Council starting to charge?

[gumshoe]

I think any without the permit stickers will be removed by the council after a certain date.

[TheArtfulDogger]

I applaud the council for bringing this scheme in as part of their drive to make people pay for the services they use as per the quote below from their own frequenly asked questions ( https://www.southwark.gov.uk/bins-and-recycling/garden-waste-collection-subscriptions?chapter=2 )

"We have seen over time that not everyone who receives garden waste collections is actually making use of the service. We believe that it is fairer that only those using the service contribute towards the running of it."

Obviously the council will be reducing council tax for those of us who don't retain their brown garden waste bins as that is what this semi-implies !

I look forward to getting a ?30 reduction for not usin a bin along with a reduction for not parking in the parks, a reduction if I don't park in the street and if they take it further a reduction for not using the library, for not walking on the pavements, for not going out at night (removing my need to pay for street lighting) and so on

In fact if I live like a hermit, not going out and not using any services then I could end up being paid to live here ...

Or have I read the statement above incorrectly and this is in fact just another Stelth tax because they have already asked for the maximum tax rise without a referendum ?

Surely even Southwark don't think we are that stupid , do they ?

I also thought that this scheme would remove the need for all the bins in my front garden, but no, there is another sting in the tail , if you retain your brown bin you can't use it for food as well, everyone needs to now request another food bin as per this quote "From 1 June we will be asking residents to present their garden waste and food waste for collection in separate designated containers." Taken from their very own FAQs

My word another bin to clutter up drives, gardens and streets. I wonder if it's a different colour and slowly we will get a rainbow bin collection outside every home ?

Come on Southwark, don't pretend it's a cost saving exercise for residents, it's a revenue making exercise that will result in more clutter and fines if you put the wrong things in the wrong bins.

Any idea if it's possible to raise a vote of no confidence in council officers or is this something our seemingly spineless local councillors should be fighting for us as they represent the people and not the council (James over to you)

[diable rouge]

TheArtfulDogger Wrote:

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> I look forward to getting a ?30 reduction for not

> usin a bin along with a reduction for not parking

> in the parks, a reduction if I don't park in the

> street and if they take it further a reduction for

> not using the library, for not walking on the

> pavements, for not going out at night (removing my

> need to pay for street lighting) and so on

This. I make use of the garden waste bins and realise that there are many people who don't yet contribute to the upkeep of the service. But equally I contribute to services that I along with many other people don't use, such as the library. Are the Council going to charge them too at the point of entry? This is nothing more that a money making exercise, as well as being worse for the environment i.e. more plastic bins and car pollution...

[Penguin68]

Not to mention, but I have, education charges for those without children (or whose children do not use the state system)... The idea of graduated taxation is that everyone pays according to their means (or a proxy thereof like property values) and uses according to their need. Once you start distinguishing, and charging for, separate elements of a service (or indeed entire services) then people not using any service feel that they shouldn't then be paying towards it, particularly when they are being asked to pay separately for a service they do use.

[cella]

So which bin for food waste?

[goldilocks]

In addition to the ideological issues with this on a taxing basis, charging for brown bins on garden waste is the most nonsensical bin to charge for (apart from the obvious easy target!)

It is my understanding that garden waste is taken to large compost bins and then sold back to us so essentially in reducing the amount of garden waste collected there will be less compost available?

In addition, the most likely outcome for some people will be to hide this in their other bins or to hard landscape their gardens (Fake grass / decking / concrete) all of which will have a negative impact on the biodiversity of our area.

To the extent that the council wanted to influence behaviour they'd be looking for differential charging on green bins as the non recyclable waste. Charging for brown bins is just a backward step here.

[dresswaves]

cella Wrote:

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> So which bin for food waste?

The brown caddy bins

[spider69]

cella Wrote:

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> So which bin for food waste?

"Thank you for your email.

Because of the massive level of year-on-year cuts from government in its grants to the council, we have had to take the decision to join the majority of other London councils that already charge for the collection of garden waste. The ?30 per year (?25 in the first year) charge that we are introducing will be one of the lowest in London and will start from June.

Food waste, which will remain free for collection, should be put in a new food waste bin that the council will shortly be delivering to you. This will be much smaller than the brown bin and so hopefully should not create too much additional clutter.

Best wishes

Councillor Richard Livingstone

Cabinet member for Environment, Transport Management and Air Quality

Labour councillor for Old Kent Road Ward

London Borough of Southwark

How hollow does the same old reply seem when they can keep spending to replace existing equipment already in use.

This thought did enter my mind,

Out of interest where will the garden waste end up and where will the food waste end up. At the same place for decomposing? and will three separate collection vehicles be used on collection day? Blue or green along with large brown bin and now small brown bin.

[sandyman]

"Food waste, which will remain free for collection, should be put in a new food waste bin that the council will shortly be delivering to you. This will be much smaller than the brown bin and so hopefully should not create too much additional clutter."

so people that pay for the garden waste service will now have four bins in their front garden. And they won't even be matching sizes. Lovely.

If food and garden waste end up going to same place why have the smaller caddy if you've paid for the bigger one?

[tomskip]

Sandyman - you'll have the smaller one because food waste collection will still be free of charge. If you don't fill your large brown bin with garden waste every week then ask the council to take it back. If you have such a large garden that you generate a lot of garden waste, then you'll have room for a compost bin or compost heap. The rest of the time you can use the paper sacks. My small brown bin sits outside the back door until collection day so we only have 2 bins (and the green one is a small size one despite us being a family of 4 adults yet somehow we manage) in our front garden now. It's not rocket surgery.

[cella]

Southwark needs to clarify the position on food waste and the brown bin situation. The above posts all contradict each other so hopefully when householders are notified of this change this will be made clear. A bad political decision.

[dimples]

Tomskip , do you not have a blue bin to recycle ?

[tomskip]

Yes Dimples, 1 blue bin, 1 small green bin, 1 brown kerbside caddy (kept outside the back door) therefore 2 bins in my front garden. We got rid of our large brown bin years ago as it is an eyesore and not needed.

[spider69]

You may not have needed the brown bin but many of us do so cannot understand why the brown bin cannot be used as per now for garden clippings and food wast.

No one has answered as to how many dust carts will now be needed to collect from all these bins, 4 now in total

[snoopy17]

The worrying part is when they say, 'we've noticed not many people take advantage of this service'. Which I know for a fact it's because people who live in the same street as me put their rubbish in the big massive bins that they have in flats. Because for some reason they don't want the bin man to know what rubbish they are throwing out.

Which means 2 things. Another charge for the green and blue bins as no one is using them.

Or it means the council will soon start collecting them less.

It's a load of nonsense, even if you want to keep your brown bin you still have to get another one.

[jimlad48]

I spoke to Southwark today on this and they are fairly uncertain about what is going on - we share a brown bin and they can't advise what happens if we don't want the new service, or how it will be replaced. Its not a brilliantly executed scheme, it must be said.

[Rosetta]

Will the brown paper sacks still be available?

[sally buying]

jimlad48 Wrote:

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> I spoke to Southwark today on this and they are

> fairly uncertain about what is going on - we share

> a brown bin and they can't advise what happens if

> we don't want the new service, or how it will be

> replaced. Its not a brilliantly executed scheme,

> it must be said.

And yet the response from Cllr Richard Livingstone posted by spider69 states exactly what is happening.

Shows what a shambles Southwark is if the boss states one thing and the workers have no idea. Made up on the hoof.

[Passiflora]

It's a shame, but you either use it or lose it.

I think I'm the only one on my street that puts out my blue/green/brown bins just outside my gate to help the bin men collect it easily. Most of their time seems to be taken up by dragging bins about that should have been left within reach on a certain day (according to leaflets put out years ago) and should be common sense.

I often hear the bin men cursing and shouting about how people have left their rubbish to be collected with no thought to them!

[edanna]

Rosetta Wrote:

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> Will the brown paper sacks still be available?

Yes at a charge of ?15 for 20. And you will have to book a collection for these according to Southwark?s website. But it isn?t clear if that collection will be charged for.

[DulwichFox]

Got a letter this morning. The charge will be ?30.00 P/A for Garden waste

I do not have much garden waste and only ever dispose of garden waste a couple of times a year.

Not sure how that will work ? Will they take the large Brown bins away and replace with small brown bins.

My Kitchen caddie bin only holds one small food waste bags. I usually use 2/3 a week.

How will people be able to dispose of their food waste.

DulwichFox

[KidKruger]

From when does this charge start - anyone know ?

(Apols if I?ve missed that info above)

[Penguin68]

Not sure how that will work ? Will they take the large Brown bins away and replace with small brown bins.

My Kitchen caddie bin only holds one small food waste bags. I usually use 2/3 a week.

There are also 'kerb-side' caddies which are about 3-4 times the cubic capacity of the kitchen caddy. I assume these will be the replacement. They are very vulnerable, when empty, to high winds so will be blown about often during collection days. Hey ho.

[Alec1]

hopefully this will show up, but this is letter I received today.

[seenbeen]

?30 a year is not much in the scheme of things. I wonder how many people will be tempted to concrete over their gardens on the strength of it?