Could it really be true that the new East Coast service, recently nationalised is actually better than the previous National Express service? I think it is even better than the GNER service was.
Tickets seem cheaper with special on-line fares. I did Leeds-London and back last week for less than £120 first class and trains were at reasonable times of the day. The staff are polite and efficient and seem to take a genuine pride in what they are doing. None of the chip-on-the-shoulder lot from before.
But best of all, decent sized packs of peanuts, large biscuits and healthy snacks all foc from the trolley.
I worry that all of this will go when the franchise is sold again, but for now East Coast gets my vote.
Saturday, 30 January 2010
Monday, 12 October 2009
Interpack drops an environmental clanger
German packaging exhibition Interpack has sent me the worst piece of direct mail I have seen in a long time. A large cardboard outer opens up to reveal another cardboard box which extends telescopically to reveal the words "Solutions Ahead". Inside is a credit card sized plastic card with a web address printed on it.
The card weighs 5 grammes. The packaging 234 grammes. All posted from Germany What a complete waste.
But even the card is a waste of time. If they wanted me to look at their web site, they could have simply e-mailed me.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Why the Mail is wrong about "slop buckets"
Once again the Daily Mail is in recycling-bashing mode. This time trying to scare householders about food waste recycling claiming that if made compulsory this will lead to infestations of rats, maggots and flies.
Once again they have got it wrong. If food is put in the dustbin it goes to a landfill site and as it decomposes it gives off methane, a potent greenhouse gas. If food is collected and processed through an anaerobic digestion plant the methane is captured, electricity can be generated and the composted material goes back onto the land in preference to industrially produced fertilizers. Given this choice this really is a no brainer.
The Mail claims that in trials of 94,000 households, one quarter had problems with vermin, maggots or flies. In fact we are well placed to comment as the UK's biggest supplier of kitchen caddies and kerbside caddies for foodwaste. We have supplied many hundreds of thousands without causing any such problems.
Each kerbside caddy has a close fitting lid with a locking mechanism to prevent scavenging animals being able to get at the contents. Many are used with compostable bin liners, further preventing any such problem.
In a vain attempt to demonstrate that this will never happen, The Mail states that 1/3 of households do not have wheeled bins, so cannot have caddies. More nonsense. The caddy does not depend on having a wheeled bin at all.
Finally, the food waste collection on a weekly basis is the best way to prevent problems with alternate weekly collections.
Giving every household a food waste bin would be of great environmental benefit. The Daily Mail should do its research properly and should be a bit more responsible.
Once again they have got it wrong. If food is put in the dustbin it goes to a landfill site and as it decomposes it gives off methane, a potent greenhouse gas. If food is collected and processed through an anaerobic digestion plant the methane is captured, electricity can be generated and the composted material goes back onto the land in preference to industrially produced fertilizers. Given this choice this really is a no brainer.
The Mail claims that in trials of 94,000 households, one quarter had problems with vermin, maggots or flies. In fact we are well placed to comment as the UK's biggest supplier of kitchen caddies and kerbside caddies for foodwaste. We have supplied many hundreds of thousands without causing any such problems.
Each kerbside caddy has a close fitting lid with a locking mechanism to prevent scavenging animals being able to get at the contents. Many are used with compostable bin liners, further preventing any such problem.
In a vain attempt to demonstrate that this will never happen, The Mail states that 1/3 of households do not have wheeled bins, so cannot have caddies. More nonsense. The caddy does not depend on having a wheeled bin at all.
Finally, the food waste collection on a weekly basis is the best way to prevent problems with alternate weekly collections.
Giving every household a food waste bin would be of great environmental benefit. The Daily Mail should do its research properly and should be a bit more responsible.
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Pay to get the post!
The post at our offices is arriving at lunchtime. The Post Office claim that this is the best they can do unless we pay £3,150 per year for a timed delivery. People posting letters to us cannot possibly realise that half the day is gone before we see their communications. They pay to send things to us, it is outrageous that we should be charged to receive them.
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Nationalised Express
On the 7:00am from Leeds to London this morning the trolley did look a little bare. My request for a banana was met with an embarassed reply - "we don't do fresh fruit anymore". This seems to have broadly conincided with the nationalisation of the service.
John Prescott made it clear last week that his preferred fare on the train is a "nationalised bacon sandwich" which I am sure tastes better. As a vegetarian I will just have to take his word for it. But cutting the fresh fruit is just ignorant - I mean how much can a few bananas cost?
My full fare ticket this morning cost £334 - probably more than the price of a flight to New York. My newspaper was on my seat, bottled water is now pre-installed on the table with a 50/50 chance of still or sparkling, biscuits are left on the table. So the staffing costs have obviously been cut back. I don't have a problem with this, but to make a change like scrapping fresh fruit will get right up the customers' noses.
When National Express first took over they scrapped toast from the breakfast menu. I was among those who objected - and it was reinstated albeit at an outragous £2 a go.
So Nationalised Express - help us all get our five a day. Let's have our bananas back! My wife said "they should put the price up" - well I for one would gladly pay another 50p if I could have my banana breakfast again.
John Prescott made it clear last week that his preferred fare on the train is a "nationalised bacon sandwich" which I am sure tastes better. As a vegetarian I will just have to take his word for it. But cutting the fresh fruit is just ignorant - I mean how much can a few bananas cost?
My full fare ticket this morning cost £334 - probably more than the price of a flight to New York. My newspaper was on my seat, bottled water is now pre-installed on the table with a 50/50 chance of still or sparkling, biscuits are left on the table. So the staffing costs have obviously been cut back. I don't have a problem with this, but to make a change like scrapping fresh fruit will get right up the customers' noses.
When National Express first took over they scrapped toast from the breakfast menu. I was among those who objected - and it was reinstated albeit at an outragous £2 a go.
So Nationalised Express - help us all get our five a day. Let's have our bananas back! My wife said "they should put the price up" - well I for one would gladly pay another 50p if I could have my banana breakfast again.
Friday, 19 June 2009
More about wheeled bins
Today, Friday 19th June the Daily Mail has printed another two pages about wheeled bins. A further six arguments have been presented - these are all a little more tenuous that the last lot.
1) The recycling industry backs the Daily Mail campaign
2) Certain French and German individuals are making vast amounts of money from selling wheeled bins in the UK
3) Householders have to pay for their bins and this is a stealth tax
4) Southend on Sea has a 40% recycling rate but does not use wheeled bins
5) Wheeled bins and other containers mean that poor Ricky and Sarah Roffey can't use the alleyway at the side of their house
6) Burglars are using bins to break into peoples houses
So does the industry back the campaign? Well no. Phil Hurst of The Campaign for Real Recycling is quoted in The Mail as saying "We are not against wheelie bins". It can't really be much clearer than that.
As to the issue of price and who is profiteering, The Mail claims a wheeled bin is £46. Actually, they sell for less than half of this amount. Straight plc proudly makes its plastic wheeled bins in the UK - and they are the least profitable item in our range.
GDF Suez do not make bins, they service them. They also run many rounds where wheeled bins are not used. The fact that their CEO earns many millions for running this large multi-national corporation generating more than €80 billion has little to do with wheeled bins. Having a go at Sulo boss Mr Grenz for being successful is the politics of envy and nothing more. So what he has got a yacht?
Daily Mail CEO in 2008 was Charles Sinclair who earned nearly £2M for publishing what seems to be an ill informed rag, whilst Chairman The Viscount Rothmere earned £700,000 and has shares worth £313 million. I wonder if either of them has a yacht?
Householders were charged £60 in South Cambridgeshire - but it seems for two bins, not one as reported. It seems they had to call a number to pay for their bins which would then be delivered. I have no issue with people being charged, should bins be free? If they did not pay for the bins up front they would only be charged through the Council Tax. However, this does seem a very inefficient way of doing things. £60 is over the top - two bins should be deliverable for about £45.
Southend on Sea is doing well with its 40% recycling rate. Of course this can be achieved without wheeled bins as everyone in the industry knows. But talk to people on the streets about where they leave their black bags before collection day and you may well get a different story. Foxes can tear bags open - they can't be left outdoors. Also 77,800 bags will cost around £200,000 per year and is very wasteful. After 7 or 8 years of one bag per home a bin could be bought for the same money. The bin would last 10 years at least, so this offers better value. 2 bags per house per week and the figure halves.
I have some sympathy for Ricky and Sarah Roffey. But surely if Mr Roffey has the brains to father three children he must understand that people cannot pass through solid bins and if he wants to use the alleyway at the side of his house he should put them somewhere else. Incidentally, the food waste bin (unforgivably described as a slop bucket) is collected every week in Epsom & Ewell, only the wheeled bins are collected fortnightly. The food waste colletion means the fortnightly collection is perfectly adequate for anyone.
And finally the issue of burglary. Having a wheeled bin does not lead to any increased risk. If people are stupid enough to leave a window open then the burglar might climb on the bin to get through. Moral - shut the window. Better still, block the escape route with your wheeled bins, boxes, slop buckets, dustbins and plastic bags to prevent a quick getaway!
1) The recycling industry backs the Daily Mail campaign
2) Certain French and German individuals are making vast amounts of money from selling wheeled bins in the UK
3) Householders have to pay for their bins and this is a stealth tax
4) Southend on Sea has a 40% recycling rate but does not use wheeled bins
5) Wheeled bins and other containers mean that poor Ricky and Sarah Roffey can't use the alleyway at the side of their house
6) Burglars are using bins to break into peoples houses
So does the industry back the campaign? Well no. Phil Hurst of The Campaign for Real Recycling is quoted in The Mail as saying "We are not against wheelie bins". It can't really be much clearer than that.
As to the issue of price and who is profiteering, The Mail claims a wheeled bin is £46. Actually, they sell for less than half of this amount. Straight plc proudly makes its plastic wheeled bins in the UK - and they are the least profitable item in our range.
GDF Suez do not make bins, they service them. They also run many rounds where wheeled bins are not used. The fact that their CEO earns many millions for running this large multi-national corporation generating more than €80 billion has little to do with wheeled bins. Having a go at Sulo boss Mr Grenz for being successful is the politics of envy and nothing more. So what he has got a yacht?
Daily Mail CEO in 2008 was Charles Sinclair who earned nearly £2M for publishing what seems to be an ill informed rag, whilst Chairman The Viscount Rothmere earned £700,000 and has shares worth £313 million. I wonder if either of them has a yacht?
Householders were charged £60 in South Cambridgeshire - but it seems for two bins, not one as reported. It seems they had to call a number to pay for their bins which would then be delivered. I have no issue with people being charged, should bins be free? If they did not pay for the bins up front they would only be charged through the Council Tax. However, this does seem a very inefficient way of doing things. £60 is over the top - two bins should be deliverable for about £45.
Southend on Sea is doing well with its 40% recycling rate. Of course this can be achieved without wheeled bins as everyone in the industry knows. But talk to people on the streets about where they leave their black bags before collection day and you may well get a different story. Foxes can tear bags open - they can't be left outdoors. Also 77,800 bags will cost around £200,000 per year and is very wasteful. After 7 or 8 years of one bag per home a bin could be bought for the same money. The bin would last 10 years at least, so this offers better value. 2 bags per house per week and the figure halves.
I have some sympathy for Ricky and Sarah Roffey. But surely if Mr Roffey has the brains to father three children he must understand that people cannot pass through solid bins and if he wants to use the alleyway at the side of his house he should put them somewhere else. Incidentally, the food waste bin (unforgivably described as a slop bucket) is collected every week in Epsom & Ewell, only the wheeled bins are collected fortnightly. The food waste colletion means the fortnightly collection is perfectly adequate for anyone.
And finally the issue of burglary. Having a wheeled bin does not lead to any increased risk. If people are stupid enough to leave a window open then the burglar might climb on the bin to get through. Moral - shut the window. Better still, block the escape route with your wheeled bins, boxes, slop buckets, dustbins and plastic bags to prevent a quick getaway!
Thursday, 18 June 2009
The truth about wheelie bins
Having held a long conversation with a journalist from the Daily Mail yesterday, I felt that I should buy a copy. The headline Wheelie Bins: Join the Revolt was quite surreal.
Having read the paper I now know why it does not form part of my daily activities. Along with six and a half pages of ranting about wheeled bins, the edition from today Thursday 18th June includes information about how Gypsies jump the queue to see a GP and how many of the unemployed have now given up looking for work. This paper is a masterpiece. Talk about mutton dressed as lamb, this is The Sun dressed as The Daily Telegraph.
The Daily Mail is leading a high profile campaign which on first impressions appears to be against wheeled bins. The bins are described as “monstrous” and are described as “blighting our streets and gardens”.
On closer reading, the campaign appears confused. The coupon that readers are requested to cut out, fill in and post to the Chief Executive of their local council actually asks for people to be given a choice between a wheeled bin, a dustbin or a biodegradable plastic bag.
There are numerous arguments presented against the wheeled bin.
1) Councils are introducing these without local consultation on bin type or the collection methods employed
2) The bins are unsuitable for some properties yet councils ignore protests
3) More unwanted bins are coming in a bid to increase recycling, forced upon us by Europe
4) The bins are aesthetically poor
5) Bins are not the best way to collect recyclables – boxes are
6) Bins are not necessary but are being pushed through by overzealous councils on health and safety grounds.
7) Bins are fitted with chips which are “intrusive” and will allow new taxes to be charged
8) Wheeled bins are expensive
9) More collection space is needed for a fortnightly collection service
10) Recycling aims are misguided and do not need wheeled bins to encourage them.
11) Waste reduction is a better plan. Manufacturers and retailers should reduce packaging.
12) Other councils achieve high recycling rates without using wheeled bins at all.
My view is that the Daily Mail is being hugely irresponsible. Councils have a job to do and they are democratically elected to do this job. The Mail has generally taken an anti-recycling stance in the past, promoting commingling where all recyclable materials are collected together in a wheeled bin. This new attack appears to be a significant change of heart. Whether it will persuade its readers to follow a more environmentally positive lifestyle is unlikely.
I am well qualified to comment on this argument. The company I founded, Straight plc, does sell wheeled bins, but it is not a wheeled bin company. Wheeled bins are a small part of what we do and are an even smaller contributor to profits. We offer councils a wide choice of container solutions including kerbside boxes and dustbins. I would estimate that we have 10-15% of the UK market for domestic wheeled bins at present.
On the point of councils not consulting residents this will be a matter of geographical variation. However, councils have to hit recycling targets. It is true these targets came from Europe, but they should be viewed positively. We can’t continue to landfill waste as this is not sustainable, but councils should engage with their residents.
It is perfectly true that wheeled bins are not suitable for all properties. Councils already make provisions for flats and should be sensitive to areas where there is nowhere to store a bin. However, people will be equally annoyed if they have to travel further than the end of their drive to deposit their waste or recyclables. Will a dustbin really offer a better alternative? They may have a certain “retro” quality but they are not pretty either. And as for plastic bags they are unsightly and will be torn to pieces by foxes during the night.
Wheeled bins aesthetics are primarily driven by the performance standard the bins must adhere to. The EN840 standard dictates the basic design and sets out tests to ensure that the bins do not fall apart when they are tipped.
The Mail quotes art historian Sir Roy Strong asking if a designer has looked at a wheeled bin. Of course. All wheeled bins were designed by well qualified industrial designers. Sir Roy should know as well as anyone else that what one person likes another will not. Perhaps Sir Roy should buy one of those large stickers to cover his wheeled bin with – a Matisse would look particularly fitting.
So are wheeled bins the best way to collect waste and recyclables? The government agency WRAP has conducted research which points to kerbside boxes being the best way to collect recyclable waste. This low-tech system which I pioneered in the UK in the late 1980s is lower cost, results in lower emissions and produces cleaner material which sells for a higher price. But just as wheeled bins do not work everywhere, boxes also are not suited to every location. Wheeled bins certainly do have their place. In terms of collecting residual waste, they are probably the most efficient means but they do encourage people to waste more. For garden waste, they are not suitable. The most environmentally friendly method with garden waste is to compost it at home. If a collection service is offered it should be charged for.
The health and safety arguments have been belittled by The Mail referring to the issue as “Elf and safety”. However, heath and safety in the workplace (and this includes refuse rounds) is a serious matter. Workers are killed or injured every year collecting our waste. It is not so much about the kind of container used but is down to the identification of risk and the quality of management of a collection programme. The HSE has published guidelines which councils should follow. These do not state that a wheeled bin must be used.
Now to the issue of chips. This is an emotive issue with people feeling their civil liberties are being infringed if their bin is fitted with a chip, also known as an RFID tag. Worse still if they don’t know the chip is there. There are modern myths about these bin chips, such as they can see what is inside the bin – they are all false.
The chip is basically a way of numbering the bin. It is no different from having an address printed on the bin, it is just that an electronic reader can read it rather than a human being. Most people who object to chips would happily paint their house number on the bin. There is no difference. In terms of taxes coming in the future, this could happen long term but is not part of the Government’s strategy at the moment. I, for one, would rather pay for what little I throw away rather than being charged an average based on everyone else’s wasteful habits. A bin tax would be instead of part of the Council Tax, not as well as it.
Are wheeled bins expensive? Yes when compared to a kerbside box or a dustbin, no compared to the number of plastic bags that would be needed in their place. The cost of the container is only one part of the equation and a full end-to-end evaluation must be carried out if decisions are based on cost only. I believe carbon emissions should also be considered in the evaluation process.
The fortnightly collection argument appears to be a red herring. The Mail hates fortnightly collections, however, as it points out this method does save money. The Mail also hates public money being wasted – so which way to they want it? We should all strive for the most cost effective method of collection. Householders previously had one 240 litre bin emptied weekly. They then get two 240 litre bins emptied alternate weekly. The only problem is food in the residual waste bin. In my view all fortnightly collections should be accompanied by a weekly food waste collection. These are made in small caddies which are vermin resistant and easy to keep clean. Problem solved.
The photographs printed in The Mail are not entirely fair. Certainly those from Roundhay in Leeds (near where I live) are of the bins on collection day. The bins do not live on the street, they are returned within the property curtilege once tipped. Where there is nowhere for the bin to go, I have some sympathy, but there will be nowhere for a dustbin or a plastic bag either.
Finally a point about the choices The Daily Mail suggests we ask for. Several possibilities are overlooked. I would ask The Mail to consider kerbside boxes, to consider caddies for food waste, to consider inner caddies for an existing wheeled bin to prevent the need for another one. Underground banks are also a possibility – they are aesthetically pleasing and the waste is out of sight completely. However, these are also very expensive, noisy when emptied and tend to restrict the amount of waste each household can deposit. They are also communal so involve a short walk with the bag of waste. Losing the wheeled bin might open another can of worms.
As a society that generates waste we need to have the means of dealing with it – be it for recycling, composting or another disposal method. Each solution will involve compromise. Professionals in the industry – including those working in councils – have to make the right choices for us. We cannot have entire recycling programmes pulled just because Gerry Anderson does not like his wheeled bin.
Let us be clear about recycling. It is an essential part of our behavior and must be encouraged. Waste reduction must be encouraged too. Manufactures and retailers have made tremendous strides over the years to reduce packaging, not just driven by legislation but by an economic imperative too. But we need packaging, just as we need a method of recycling and disposing of our waste – ideally at the end of our driveways.
Having read the paper I now know why it does not form part of my daily activities. Along with six and a half pages of ranting about wheeled bins, the edition from today Thursday 18th June includes information about how Gypsies jump the queue to see a GP and how many of the unemployed have now given up looking for work. This paper is a masterpiece. Talk about mutton dressed as lamb, this is The Sun dressed as The Daily Telegraph.
The Daily Mail is leading a high profile campaign which on first impressions appears to be against wheeled bins. The bins are described as “monstrous” and are described as “blighting our streets and gardens”.
On closer reading, the campaign appears confused. The coupon that readers are requested to cut out, fill in and post to the Chief Executive of their local council actually asks for people to be given a choice between a wheeled bin, a dustbin or a biodegradable plastic bag.
There are numerous arguments presented against the wheeled bin.
1) Councils are introducing these without local consultation on bin type or the collection methods employed
2) The bins are unsuitable for some properties yet councils ignore protests
3) More unwanted bins are coming in a bid to increase recycling, forced upon us by Europe
4) The bins are aesthetically poor
5) Bins are not the best way to collect recyclables – boxes are
6) Bins are not necessary but are being pushed through by overzealous councils on health and safety grounds.
7) Bins are fitted with chips which are “intrusive” and will allow new taxes to be charged
8) Wheeled bins are expensive
9) More collection space is needed for a fortnightly collection service
10) Recycling aims are misguided and do not need wheeled bins to encourage them.
11) Waste reduction is a better plan. Manufacturers and retailers should reduce packaging.
12) Other councils achieve high recycling rates without using wheeled bins at all.
My view is that the Daily Mail is being hugely irresponsible. Councils have a job to do and they are democratically elected to do this job. The Mail has generally taken an anti-recycling stance in the past, promoting commingling where all recyclable materials are collected together in a wheeled bin. This new attack appears to be a significant change of heart. Whether it will persuade its readers to follow a more environmentally positive lifestyle is unlikely.
I am well qualified to comment on this argument. The company I founded, Straight plc, does sell wheeled bins, but it is not a wheeled bin company. Wheeled bins are a small part of what we do and are an even smaller contributor to profits. We offer councils a wide choice of container solutions including kerbside boxes and dustbins. I would estimate that we have 10-15% of the UK market for domestic wheeled bins at present.
On the point of councils not consulting residents this will be a matter of geographical variation. However, councils have to hit recycling targets. It is true these targets came from Europe, but they should be viewed positively. We can’t continue to landfill waste as this is not sustainable, but councils should engage with their residents.
It is perfectly true that wheeled bins are not suitable for all properties. Councils already make provisions for flats and should be sensitive to areas where there is nowhere to store a bin. However, people will be equally annoyed if they have to travel further than the end of their drive to deposit their waste or recyclables. Will a dustbin really offer a better alternative? They may have a certain “retro” quality but they are not pretty either. And as for plastic bags they are unsightly and will be torn to pieces by foxes during the night.
Wheeled bins aesthetics are primarily driven by the performance standard the bins must adhere to. The EN840 standard dictates the basic design and sets out tests to ensure that the bins do not fall apart when they are tipped.
The Mail quotes art historian Sir Roy Strong asking if a designer has looked at a wheeled bin. Of course. All wheeled bins were designed by well qualified industrial designers. Sir Roy should know as well as anyone else that what one person likes another will not. Perhaps Sir Roy should buy one of those large stickers to cover his wheeled bin with – a Matisse would look particularly fitting.
So are wheeled bins the best way to collect waste and recyclables? The government agency WRAP has conducted research which points to kerbside boxes being the best way to collect recyclable waste. This low-tech system which I pioneered in the UK in the late 1980s is lower cost, results in lower emissions and produces cleaner material which sells for a higher price. But just as wheeled bins do not work everywhere, boxes also are not suited to every location. Wheeled bins certainly do have their place. In terms of collecting residual waste, they are probably the most efficient means but they do encourage people to waste more. For garden waste, they are not suitable. The most environmentally friendly method with garden waste is to compost it at home. If a collection service is offered it should be charged for.
The health and safety arguments have been belittled by The Mail referring to the issue as “Elf and safety”. However, heath and safety in the workplace (and this includes refuse rounds) is a serious matter. Workers are killed or injured every year collecting our waste. It is not so much about the kind of container used but is down to the identification of risk and the quality of management of a collection programme. The HSE has published guidelines which councils should follow. These do not state that a wheeled bin must be used.
Now to the issue of chips. This is an emotive issue with people feeling their civil liberties are being infringed if their bin is fitted with a chip, also known as an RFID tag. Worse still if they don’t know the chip is there. There are modern myths about these bin chips, such as they can see what is inside the bin – they are all false.
The chip is basically a way of numbering the bin. It is no different from having an address printed on the bin, it is just that an electronic reader can read it rather than a human being. Most people who object to chips would happily paint their house number on the bin. There is no difference. In terms of taxes coming in the future, this could happen long term but is not part of the Government’s strategy at the moment. I, for one, would rather pay for what little I throw away rather than being charged an average based on everyone else’s wasteful habits. A bin tax would be instead of part of the Council Tax, not as well as it.
Are wheeled bins expensive? Yes when compared to a kerbside box or a dustbin, no compared to the number of plastic bags that would be needed in their place. The cost of the container is only one part of the equation and a full end-to-end evaluation must be carried out if decisions are based on cost only. I believe carbon emissions should also be considered in the evaluation process.
The fortnightly collection argument appears to be a red herring. The Mail hates fortnightly collections, however, as it points out this method does save money. The Mail also hates public money being wasted – so which way to they want it? We should all strive for the most cost effective method of collection. Householders previously had one 240 litre bin emptied weekly. They then get two 240 litre bins emptied alternate weekly. The only problem is food in the residual waste bin. In my view all fortnightly collections should be accompanied by a weekly food waste collection. These are made in small caddies which are vermin resistant and easy to keep clean. Problem solved.
The photographs printed in The Mail are not entirely fair. Certainly those from Roundhay in Leeds (near where I live) are of the bins on collection day. The bins do not live on the street, they are returned within the property curtilege once tipped. Where there is nowhere for the bin to go, I have some sympathy, but there will be nowhere for a dustbin or a plastic bag either.
Finally a point about the choices The Daily Mail suggests we ask for. Several possibilities are overlooked. I would ask The Mail to consider kerbside boxes, to consider caddies for food waste, to consider inner caddies for an existing wheeled bin to prevent the need for another one. Underground banks are also a possibility – they are aesthetically pleasing and the waste is out of sight completely. However, these are also very expensive, noisy when emptied and tend to restrict the amount of waste each household can deposit. They are also communal so involve a short walk with the bag of waste. Losing the wheeled bin might open another can of worms.
As a society that generates waste we need to have the means of dealing with it – be it for recycling, composting or another disposal method. Each solution will involve compromise. Professionals in the industry – including those working in councils – have to make the right choices for us. We cannot have entire recycling programmes pulled just because Gerry Anderson does not like his wheeled bin.
Let us be clear about recycling. It is an essential part of our behavior and must be encouraged. Waste reduction must be encouraged too. Manufactures and retailers have made tremendous strides over the years to reduce packaging, not just driven by legislation but by an economic imperative too. But we need packaging, just as we need a method of recycling and disposing of our waste – ideally at the end of our driveways.
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