Waste & Recycling Update
A big thank you to all the local residents who have embraced the new weekly kerbside recycling scheme. Latest figures show we are collecting a staggering 300 tonnes per week! Recyling rates have more than doubled since the throw away days of the former Labour Council.
It is essential local residents do use the recycling service. Firstly it helps the environment, and this is why we have pledged to drive our recycling rates up to 50% by 2010. Secondly it will help keep Council Tax down, as the Labour Government is hiking landfill tax year on year. Thirdly, wheelie bins are due to be introduced in November and as the 10 000 home trial in West Swindon has shown, wheelie bins are great if people use the recycling service, but those who dont will very quickly have a full wheelie bin. If you require more information on this service Tel: 445 501.
Last month I talked about my annoyance with the Labour Government for failing to tackle the problem of excessive packaging. Dealing with this would cut the problem of waste at the source, rather than being left to us the local Council Tax payers. The clueless Labour minister for waste and recycling was on The One Show where she declared the Government was powerless to act due to European legislation, but local residents could complain to local trading standards (which she then admitted was unlikely to work). Unbelievable, we elect these Labour MPs on massive salaries / expenses and they cant even be bothered to tackle this key issue, perhaps the minister should be recycled!
Finally a number of residents have contacted me concerned at plans to microchip bins to prepare for the Labour Governments future plans for bin taxes, where residents will be forced to pay for the exact amount of waste disposed. This has already been introduced in