On the news this morning - 139 people paid the charge, 3 turned away according to the news about a recycling centre that is now CHARGING people to use it. Seriously, where do they think the rubbish will end up? It has to go somewhere and if people don't want to pay the charge where will they take the rubbish? Local coucils should be encouraging people to recycle, not discouraging them by charging them to use the facilities. I can see recycling rates dropping and fly tipping increasing if these charges become widespread. I understand cuts need to be made, but surely some common sense needs to go into deciding what needs to be cut! When the government is meant to be encouraging recycling, this certainly looks like one council is trying to deter people from recycling. Those three cars that turned away are three cars potentially filled with stuff that could be recycled but now won't be - if they have 3 cars turn away every day that will be over 1000 people not using the facility over the year and rubbish/recycling ending up where?
Millie & Fly the Border Collies
That's simply silly!! Why discourage people from recycling?
I think it was in Germany, I'm not sure but there were recycling bins everywhere where you could put bottles, glasses, paper, cans etc and they give you a cent(or something like that!) I thought that was really clever way to encourage people.... :)
'Dip a dee dah, dip a dee ay, we're not seeing any birds to-day...'
'Morning Kat, this is the wonderful cost-saving idea of the council here in Somerset. No doubt those three cars used a handy lane, gate-way, or lay-by to get rid of their rubbish. The four recycling centres that are charging across the board are in some of the smaller communities, the council initially wanted to close them, but now say that they will keep them open if they pay their way. All over the county the hours that the centres are open have been reduced, and certain items like hard-core and gas cylinders are being charged for, for disposing.
This is another attempt by a badly run council to cover up it's own short-comings with yet another badly thought-out short-term solution. On the local news yesterday, an opposition spokesperson said that the present council ran Somerset as if it was a private fief-dom.
It's the local elections in another month, we can but hope for a change in the make-up of the councils, and get some forward-thinking people in charge who can actually manage a budget.
A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Darcy N said: That's simply silly!! Why discourage people from recycling? I think it was in Germany, I'm not sure but there were recycling bins everywhere where you could put bottles, glasses, paper, cans etc and they give you a cent(or something like that!) I thought that was really clever way to encourage people.... :)
I know it happens in Denmark. The super-markets have recycling points where you can " post" your used stuff, and receive a credit which you can then spend in the store.
Hi Kat
I couldn't agree with you more.
Charging for recycling is short-sighted and absolutely the most ridiculous thing to do.
These Councils will all have to spend a fortune in clearing up fly-tipping, until it dawns on them that it's their fault that they have to do it.
Our local Council now charges for collection of bulky items, but it's one charge for up to 5 items. Neighbours should work out between themselves who wants items collected and when so that they split the cost between them.
Best wishes Chris
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Hi Rach, don't you just love some of the bright ideas councils come up with? Hopefully after the local elections you'll have someone with half a braincell in charge!
Chris - our local council were going to charge my aunt £30+ to pick up a mattress - she told them to stuff it and got in touch with a charity that works with homeless people or something like that. They came from much further afield to pick up the mattress for considerably less (I can't actually remember if it was free, think there was a charge but not much). It is shocking that councils seem obsessed with not making is easy for people to dispose of waste. They say recycle, recycle, recycle and then start slapping on the charges and conditions for doing so. People should be rewarded for using recycling centres - they don't HAVE to afterall, they can just dump the recycling straight into the bin, burn it in the back garden or dump it in a burn none of which helps reduce waste, carbon emissions or has any benefit at all. People that use the centres use their time sorting through things, transporting to the recycling centre, putting the correct items in the correct bins at the recycling centre and now they are getting charged for it. It's stupid.
One neighbour across the road from us had a 3 piece suite and a full length firdge/freezer outside for over 6 weeks.
We were so fed up of seeing it that wediscussed paying the Council to come and fetch it ourselves!
Eventually though they came and collected it.
When we had to have a new washing machine, the delivery company were more than happy to take away the old one for nothing, as they are worth so much in scrap metal. The driver told us that on some occasions when they are called out to collect bulky items like washing machines, they are sometimes gone before they get there, as someone else has picked them up to get the scrap metal value.
It's disgraceful! There were enough fly tippers in the lanes where I used to live in Somerset as it was. I left a house in S. Glos where I'd lived for 17 years when new housing was built with no thought about improving the local infrastructure, pretty soon we were practically knee deep in rubbish in the lanes and fields around and about.
Chris - When I lived down South there was the scrap metal man who would take away any old stuff that was unwanted. He had a horse and cart lol I'm only 26 so it wasn't that long ago either! I can remember my mum or grandma rushing out to flag him down to collect heavier bits and pieces. He was really handy for getting rid of old metal and bits of scrap. I see a lot of people now just stick things outside with a "Free" sign on them for someone to take it, though I know of someone that tried that with a car and it STILL didn't go! Can't seem to give some things away!
Dear me Rach :(
I recently rang the council to collect our old washing machine (have you felt the weight of washing machines!!!)
and they charged £12 for up to 5 items. So, I threw in an old huge microwave, a mattress I needed to change anyway and an old wooden garden table. I thought that wasn't bad as I could never have taken any of those to the tip myself. However, we had 3 knocks on the door from men asking to have the white goods for scrap!!
Otherwise, I completely agree with the absurdity of charging people to recycle portable items and rubbish.
When I see fly tipping it makes my blood boil!!! I'm sure we will be seeing more of it now if council tips start charging!!
Yes, remember we have a vote in May if we don't like what the council is doing!!!!!
Cheers
Pipit
KatTai
i missed this story so thanks for posting it - its pure madness
my parish is part of an AONB and i often have to report fly tipping incidents to the borough - they are very very good at removing them and they do try and identify the tipper. Only last week i had a report of a huge pile of builders rubble complete with broken glass littering a track on the Ridgeway! further on the track was a load of car tyres and an old door. Its just pure vandalism. The other problem is the old adege that rubbish attracts rubbish so the Council try and clear any tipping within 2 days. If they charged at the local tip i am sure this activity would increase. Also just think how much it costs the council to remove a fly tip! a false economy introducing charges in my opinion
Izzy