Lining up to extol the virtues of alternate weekly collections

10 June 2009

Local authorities united this week to commend the benefits of alternate weekly collections (AWC).

Councils defended the waste collection practice after a member of the Tax Payers’ Alliance denounced it as a ‘reduced service’ introduced against the wishes of the public.

Paul Bettison, chairman of the Local Government Association environment board and leader of Bracknell Forest Borough Council, said AWC had proved a vote-winner in the majority of councils which had introduced it. He said 87% of residents in his constituency were happy with Bracknell’s AWC service after 12 months.

Ian Telford, Glasgow City Council’s design services manager, said he was trying to convince his council to introduce AWC after observing its success in improving recycling in neighbouring North Lanarkshire. Responding to criticisms from Mark Wallace of the Tax Payers’ Alliance, he added: ‘It’s a disgrace to say bins aren’t being collected every week.’

Bettison said Bracknell Forest is collecting exactly the same amount as before the roll-out of its AWC service ‘because we increased recyclate streams’. Recycling in Bracknell has doubled since the introduction of the service.

A spokesman for the London Borough of Bexley said its AWC service would save the council £100,000 this year. ‘And we’ve only had 20 complaints from a population of more than 200,000.’

Bettison said all eyes were focused on Windsor and Maidenhead, which recently launched a recycling incentive scheme (Surveyor, 4 June 2009).

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