Council agrees to dump waste bags for wheelie bins

The last district in Lincolnshire where households still use bags for their rubbish is to switch to wheelie bins.

South Holland District Council's cabinet made the decision at a special meeting on Thursday.

Of those taking part in a consultation in the district last year, 49% wanted wheelie bins while 51% said they did not.

Jim Astill, the council's portfolio holder for corporate, governance, communications and environmental services, said the main reason for the change was the government's requirement for local authorities to collect paper and card separately from other recyclables.

Households currently use separate bags for recycling and non-recycling, both of which are collected weekly.

The new wheelie bin system will operate on a rotation system, with each bin emptied once a fortnight as well as weekly food waste collections being made.

Astill said it could take up to 18 months for the changes to come into effect.

The council's current recycling performance is considered inadequate at 31.5%, compared with the national recycling rate of 44%.

The national target is for 65% of household waste to be recycled by 2035.

Acknowledging that those taking part in the consultation marginally favoured keeping the bags, Astill said: "You do have to make unpopular decisions, but it was a survey – it wasn't a vote."

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