Green light for new recycling scheme

11:23am Monday 4th September 2006

THE time has come - today is the first day of Bournemouth council's new recycling scheme, and councillors are keeping their fingers crossed everything will run smoothly after the controversy that has dogged its introduction.

From today, the new, small wheelie bins will be used for general household waste and collected weekly, with the larger, old bins being used as recycling bins and only collected once a fortnight, on the same day.

Some residents reacted with anger when they discovered the small bins contain an electronic chip, while problems with distribution meant that last week, many householders had still not received their information packs telling them what should be put in each bin.

Redhill and Northbourne's Cllr Roger West said some residents in his ward had not received their packs, but should have got them by today.

"I have been down to the office where the packs are being distributed and got two information packs for my residents," he said.

"They were working incredibly hard trying to rectify the mistakes that have been made by the distribution company."

West Southbourne Cllr Catherine Bishop said she has had very positive feedback about the scheme and is very pleased about it.

"I just hope it's a success," she said, adding that she does not have an issue with the microchips.

"People know more about you through the Tesco club card than a little bug in your bin, which isn't even operational."

And Throop and Muscliff councillor Anne Rey said she is no longer getting phone calls about the chips.

"Hopefully now that people realise they are not activated they will just follow the instructions," she said.

But fellow ward councillor Ron Whittaker was less impressed.

"We haven't had the packs in our road," he said.

"No one returns calls, no one returns emails. This council has a serious communication problem and it's getting worse all the time."

One resident wrote to Cllr Whittaker to vent his frustration that councillors were kept in the dark over the microchips.

"We may as well not vote for anybody as they appear to have no power and little influence," he said.

"The clear responsibilities between officers and members must be made clear and everyone must know the result if anyone oversteps the mark."