CAMBS: Returning my green bin when questions of cost savings

Published: 2:31 PM May 30, 2013 Updated: 6:08 PM December 14, 2020

I LIKE many have (sorry had) two green wheelie bins although I probably only use the second one around six times a year when I have excess garden waste beyond what I already recycle and use in two compost bins. In addition I have on occasions shared the second bin with a neighbour.

However, now the council wants to charge me £40 a year for the second one on the claim that it spends £900,000 per annum on garden waste! However, I am returning the spare bin as given what I pay in Council Tax I will not pay more.

Surely this green waste is recyclable and there is an income return, albeit not profit, from this waste collection (If not why not?). What percentage of the £900,000 is attributable to second wheelie bins? My guess would be a very small amount indeed.

Whilst I am very green and recycle where possible, surely some households with the removal of the second bin are just going to put excess in grey bins which I know is illegal and I would not do it myself but how is the council going to police this?

Even if it did employ extra people to police, how does it prove it was not someone else when your bin is left outside for collection and how does it fund this policing?

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In addition, are some residents going to start burning excess garden waste which previously they put in the second bin?

I would also dearly like to see some cost savings analysis at the end of the first 12 months of this change in terms of reduced recyclable green waste increase in grey bin volume.