Lid lifted on new dustbin collections

WORTHING'S unpopular refuse collection system will be dumped in June to make way for a streamlined service in which ALL rubbish will be collected on the same day.
By The Newsroom
Published 27th Mar 2003, 10:51 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 01:06 BST

Out will go any confusion over which day to leave out dustbin rubbish and recyclables such as newspapers, tins and plastic containers.

In will come a one-day-takes-all system, which is being extended to include green garden refuse sacks.

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But the new service will cost borough council tax payers a net extra 73,000 a year '” 65,000 for operational costs plus 8,000 to lease the three extra vehicles required.

This is in addition to one-off costs of 19,000 needed to publicise and launch the new service on Monday, June 23.

When the "one-day" service was mooted some months ago, council tax payers were told that basically it was a choice between spending the money on seafront improvements or on improving the refuse collection service.

The latter course was approved at the borough council's executive meeting on Thursday.

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Peter Green, executive member for environmental services, told the Herald that if it came to a choice of spending this money, he personally would much rather see it go on protecting the environment and helping save the planet, than on seafront improvements.

June 23 will introduce the collection of special compost sacks to save householders the trouble of "going to the tip" to get rid of material such as hedge trimmings and grass cuttings.

These special, bio-degradable sacks can be bought for a reduced price of 65p from a total of 24 retail/hardware shops sited all over the borough.

The sacks are specially marked and the refuse collectors will not take ordinary green plastic sacks.

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Another change will be that refuse will not normally be collected from the rear of properties '” all the bins, grey boxes and sacks will have to be left out front.

Mr Green said exceptions to this would be where disabled and elderly-frail people could not physically move the refuse containers themselves.

"These will be collected on a special round and council officials will visit the people concerned to inform them of the procedure, and help to reassure them about the people who will be making the collections."