The UK city fearing monthly bin collections – 'There'll be fly-tipping and rats'

Residents in Bristol could see monthly bin collections by the end of the year, under proposals being considered by council bosses.

Bristol City Council is consulting with the public about the changes, which could see the area’s current 45% recycling rate increase by forcing residents to recycle more from their black bins and collecting them only every 3-4 weeks.

Collecting bins every four weeks would reportedly save the council £2.3m, while every three weeks would mean a £1.3m saving – but Bristolians told Yahoo News they feared an increase in fly-tipping, rats and general poor hygiene if black bin waste is collected less often.

Green councillor Martin Fodor, chair of the environment policy committee, told Bristol Live: “We have quite a good recycling rate but unfortunately it’s dipped, and we also have escalating costs.

“So we need to talk to people about this and hear the views of residents about collections, recycling and what they’d like to see.”

Environment secretary Steve Reed said he 'would not be happy' with black bin collections every four weeks – and even urged the people of Bristol to vote out the Green-led council at the upcoming local elections if they weren't happy with the proposed policy.

When Yahoo News spoke to residents in the Bristol neighbourhood of Clifton, we heard a range of views on the subject – from those who were broadly supportive of the idea, to other homeowners who feared an increase in rats, unpleasant smells, fly-tipping and foxes.

‘Maggots and flies will be the main issue’

Sam Barton, 45, a hairdresser from Bedminster, Bristol said his bins are already full by the end of the week, even thought he recycles “quite a lot”. He fears that less frequent black bins collections will result in some unpleasant sights on the pavement.

Barton said: “It’s alright in the winter but in the summer, I think we're going to have problems. Maggots and flies will be the main issue, and it can get quite hot out here.

“Two weeks is like a limit; four weeks, I think, is a bit of a joke. Maybe three weeks, but four weeks just takes the mick a little bit. I don’t think it’s a good idea. I think you stay with it how it is, and that’s working.”

‘It’s going to turn into the streets of New York’

Alessandro Noble, 38, from Totterdown, Bristol also says he recycles but the things in the black bins are not recyclable – or big enough to hold what he throws away now as it is. He said these bins should be made bigger or they will see more rubbish on the streets.

He added: “If you go to the more underdeveloped areas, you can already see rubbish piling over. I think it is going to be absolutely appalling and turn into the streets of New York.

“There is an island in New York that has a full-blown no rubbish bin system, and they do recycle everything; they are getting overloaded right now, so how are we going to do it?

“It’s just really appalling. I think we are going to see more rubbish on the street, more fly tipping in green spaces, and some people are really going to be afraid so they will start to hoard rubbish which will cause rats and vermin.

“We know we’ve got a rat problem in Bristol."

‘The idea of poo bags being everywhere is pretty rancid’

Nina West, 31, from Bedminster, Bristol, said waste collectors “are not fantastic about coming when they should come anyway” – and that things will get worse if there is a longer wait than there is now.

She said: “We try to recycle as much as possible, and we go to the household recycling centre for the big stuff, and I think we also have a dog, and the idea of it being summer and poo bags everywhere is pretty rancid. If I had a bigger bin, that would be helpful.“

‘I don’t think we can live here with a baby’

Sibi Catley, 31, has a newborn baby and believes used nappies sitting in black bins for months would cause a bad smell. She said: “We’ve just had a baby, and basically, with the nappy situation, we don’t have a nappy recycling service here… If we move to a four-week collection, we would be completely stuffed.

“Even with the two-week collection, we are only just managing, so they need to double the size of the bins or something. But even then, four weeks with nappies staying in the bin over the summer, it’s not going to be fun for anyone walking past.

“I don’t think we can live here, with the baby, if that is the situation while taking a few trips to the tip.“

‘I think it’s fine’

Not everyone is against the proposals – Sam Clark, 40, an engineer from Bedminster, Bristol, said that he “probably agrees" with the proposed new bins law.

He added: “I think it’s fine, I have no problem with the new four-week plan. I mean, they collect a lot of recycling, and we take the kind of soft plastic stuff at Aldi, and then we are barely left to recycle.

“When we do put our recycling out, it’s mainly half full at most, maybe three quarters full every two weeks, so it doesn’t make a difference to me. I think recycling is pretty easy anyway; If you’re not doing it, I think you’re pretty lazy, in my opinion.”

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