BBC NEWS | UK | Many councils 'bug' rubbish bins

My Rubbish Rant

Did anyone else catch Real Story on BBC2 last night? It was an expose piece on the move to fortnightly rubbish collections.

Residents were complaining of rats, flies and maggots. One woman has started an online petition to increase rubbish collections because the stench of her bins has became too much to bear - “especially this year as it has been unusually hot” - why is that do you think? Could it be that the amount of shit you consume and then throw away is contributing to global warming? She printed out all the emails supporting her petition – completely oblivious to the irony!

I say: What about the health risks of overflowing landfill sites, groundwater contamination, the impact of the resulting methane gas on our atmosphere?

People are protesting on the streets, driving to the outskirts of town to fly-tip, beating up the bin-men. None of them can face the fact that they’re simply creating too much rubbish. Eastleigh southhampton doretta cox “exceptionally hot summer”
http://iccheshireonline.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/chesterchronicle/tm_objectid=14364940&method=full&siteid=50020&headline=-rat-lady--shares-dirty-secret-name_page.html
“These changes are putting public health at risk” she says. - What is the risk of climate change to public health, rat lady?

These protesters are getting their point across; 11 councils have reverted back to weekly collections. And yes, they do have some valid arguments:

On different coloured/shaped bins in different boroughs
"it should be the same across the country”
“people are angry and confused”
“councils just do their own thing”

Lincolnshire council has a recycle bins people complaining bins are too small. 1`
Family (3 kids) in Scunthorpe recycle as much as possible, including their teabags and rainwater, They've even got chickens. And yet every two weeks they still fill 6 black bin-bags with rubbish and end up driving to the local tip. Granted, the council does not provide paper and cardboard recycling - which is pretty pathetic - but that's probably because residents wouldn't agree to a council tax increase. At the end of the day, we've all got to stop bitching and just stop consuming so much in the first place.

I dispose roughly 50% less waste and recycle +/-50% more than most of my neighbours but have to pay the same council tax. I welcome the introduction of monitored waste and look forward to finally being rewarded for taking some responsibility! And yes, I do feel worthy!

Cork County Council (previously one of the worst recycling rates in Europe – now recycles 47%) Due largely to "Pay As You Throw" bin-weighing technology. One family saves 250 euros a year. Of course, fly-tipping is a growing problem. But with CCTV, and detectives with hidden cameras, more and more people are being fined.

Why fan the flames?
Fiona Bruce whispered: “secret ID chips are fitted under the lid of every bin”. If they’re so secret, why was the BBC allowed to film the factory installing them and why did the chief exec agree to explain the entire process. So, he didn’t reveal which councils have installed the chips. So what! Until the councils start charging, it’s irrelevant. The BBC needs to grow up!