There have been a number of reports in the press about the new arrangements for waste collection in Sutton. I thought it would be useful to clarify the position.

From week commencing November 26, non-recyclable household waste (brown wheeled bins) will be collected every week, while the collection or recyclable waste (green wheeled bins) will remain fortnightly.

The council wants to encourage everyone to use wheeled bins, rather than sacks, wherever possible as this is the most cost effective and safest way of storing and collecting rubbish.

We want to encourage residents to recycle as much refuse as possible. This reduces the amount of waste buried in landfill sites, for which the council is taxed, and benefits the environment.

And we want to reduce the amount of recyclable refuse that is contaminated by messy household waste being put in green wheeled bins.

We believe that the new weekly collections once up and running will reduce the use of extra black sacks, reduce the demand for the larger 240 litre wheeled bins and reduce the amount of contamination.

The council agreed to work in consultation with residents to get as many properties as possible using the wheeled bin service, whilst investigating alternatives for those properties where this may prove to be inappropriate.

The council agreed to continue to supply larger brown bins, but only on an exceptional basis, where residents had a need for them.

The council has not decided to introduce any charges for larger bins or for collecting black sacks of domestic refuse. Nor has the council stopped the collection of black plastic sacks.

Council officers, working with councillors on the performance committee, will continue to develop ways to encourage residents to opt-in to the wheeled bin scheme, seek alternatives where necessary and to help residents to recycle as much of their refuse as possible and avoid contamination.

Mike Cooper

Leader

Sutton Council

November 30, 2001 10:30