Title: South Holland District Council Opts for Wheelie Bins Over Traditional Waste Bags
South Holland District council has announced a significant shift from traditional waste bags to wheelie bins, bringing an end to the era of bags in the final Lincolnshire district that still uses this method. The decision, made at a special council meeting, hinges on the approval of a £3.5 million budget this July. If given the green light, the transition to wheelie bins could take as long as 18 months.
This move comes after a public consultation where residents were almost evenly divided on the topic, with a slight lean towards the status quo—49% were in favour of wheelie bins, while 51% were against the change. Councillor Jim Astill, with responsibility for corporate, governance, communications, and environmental services, mentioned a government directive to collect paper and card separately as a major factor influencing this shift.
In the new system, recycling and non-recycling waste will be picked up on alternate fortnights, with plans to implement weekly food waste collections as well. South Holland currently falls below the national average for recycling, at a rate of 31.5% compared to the UK average of 44%. Ultimately, the government is aiming to achieve a 65% recycling rate by 2035.
Despite the close consultation results, Astill highlighted the necessity of making challenging decisions, stating, “You do have to make unpopular decisions, but it was a survey – it wasn’t a vote.”
This report is a summary of an original article from www.bbc.com, adapted with permission for The Lincoln Post.
