Bin collections set to be reduced

Weekly bin collections could be under threat, following government research saying there would be no hygiene problems as long as rubbish was properly wrapped.

Many councils across the UK have adopted the policy of collecting waste fortnightly, and recyclable rubbish being collected on alternate weeks.

A separate report has also shown people throughout the UK throw out around a third of their food, with a total of 6.7m tonnes of food disposed of every year.

While half of the waste is inedible, it still means more than 15p of each £1 spent on food is wasted.

Critics have condemned the plans saying the build-up of rubbish will attract foxes, rats and swarms of flies.

Shadow local government secretary Caroline Spelman said: “Axing weekly collections will hit families the hardest, who quite naturally produce more waste than single person households, or couples without children.

“Like many others, they will be asking whether it’s too much to ask that our streets are kept clean and our bins emptied.”

Ministers, however have said the move will encourage householders to recycle more and there should not be a problem as long as waste is dealt with in a “clean and efficient way”.

One third of English councils have already reduced waste collections.

(JM)