Should monthly pick-ups be binned off?

Cardiff City Council has revealed it is considering radical proposals to pick up general waste just once every four weeks in order to encourage more recycling.

A council document claimed “a number of local authorities were now considering reducing frequency.”

But Blackpool Council today said it was sticking to its existing regime.

Coun Gillian Campbell, cabinet member for street scene, said: “While we constantly review our bin collections, our strategy appears to be working, with recycling in Blackpool up again this year.

“There is no doubt a monthly bin collection would save money, however in terms of helping residents to dispose of their waste, it is not something that we are considering at the moment.”

Blackpool shifted from weekly to fortnightly collections for general waste in 2005, with recycled products collected on alternate weeks.

Food waste can be disposed off either with general or recyclable waste.

Tory councillor Maxine Callow said she hoped no changes would be made in the future.

She said: “I wouldn’t like to think the council might reduce rubbish collections in the future. I hope they leave well alone here in Blackpool.”

The latest statistics show 39.6 per cent of the rubbish thrown away in Blackpool is being recycled compared to just 18 per cent back in 2005.

Fylde and Wyre Councils, which also have fortnightly rubbish collections, said they had no plans to change.

A spokesman for Wyre Council, where recycling rates are 47 per cent, said:“We have a system that works well for Wyre and we have no immediate plans to change that.”

Around 46 per cent of rubbish in Fylde is recycled.

Follow us on twitter @The_Gazette and like our page on facebook to keep up with all the latest news.