British Families Battle Waste Contamination Upon Garbage Collection Service Cuts
Britain recently put a new waste collection system into place to save several regions a significant amount of money, and some residents aren’t too happy. Over 75% of the country must now wait two to three weeks to have their garbage collected by waste management companies. Although this decision has effectively reduced garbage-related costs, it’s brought with it issues of sanitation.
As British citizens get used to the new system, some of them have had their household waste sitting at the curb for nearly four weeks, and the bags of garbage have begun to attract maggots, rats, and other unsightly pests. In an attempt to combat the sanitation problem, homeowners have resorted to stuffing trash into their bins to take advantage of their full volume and incinerating the waste in their own backyards.
This is a problem for over 200 of the country’s regions - the ones who are forced to wait more than one week for their garbage collection. Each area is gradually being transitioned to a waste collection frequency of once every three weeks. In the summer of 2016, only 66% of the country’s regions had bi-weekly pickup, demonstrating a big jump in waste collection waiting time.
The drastic change stems from the European Union’s earth-saving efforts that require at least 50% of household waste to be recycled in three years’ time. If the United Kingdom fails to comply, it will be charged as much as 500,000 pounds daily.
Going far beyond the two-week mark is Conwy, an area in which 10,000 homes are having their garbage picked up every four weeks. The surprising once-a-month frequency has reportedly turned the area into a health hazard, producing terrible odours and drawing in contaminated pests. While some residents burn their waste or stuff their bins, others ask their neighbours who produce less waste if they can share some of their leftover bin space.
There is some good news, however. Homeowners are required to sort their waste before setting it out, putting organic waste and recyclable materials into their own separate bins. Recycling and compost are picked up weekly, along with those who have bins for used sanitary products. Additionally, yard waste, clothing, and discarded electronics are picked up every two weeks.
Some residents feel singled out by the need for sanitary item bins, while others simply aren’t seeing the benefits of having the majority of their waste collected weekly and the other portion of it picked up monthly. Conwy councillors have been debating the pros and cons of the system for a while, some claiming that it harms the health of residents and being countered by those who point to data that shows a high level of public satisfaction.
Despite the bad press the system has received from a select few, most British citizens have taken well to the monthly waste collection program. If it continues, it should save 1.6 million pounds annually through waste collection infrequency and an increase in recycling rates, saving both money and the earth.
