Last year, a study found that eighteen percent of black bin contents were recyclable materials, and twenty-seven percent was food waste. The council’s aiming to do better—and weekly recycling collections, including new red bags for soft plastics, are a key part of the plan.
00:00There will be a lot of stench around, a lot of staunch. I mean, I can't imagine that. It's like being in Birmingham, isn't it? They've got a problem issue with that stuff, eh, whatever.
00:14Major changes are coming to bin collections in North Somerset, and they could save the council a small fortune.
00:22From now on, black bins will only be collected every three weeks instead of every two. The move is designed to slash spending and boost recycling, which currently stands at 55%.
00:34North Somerset Council spent around £4 million on black bin collections last year, but hopes to save £1 million this year by cutting down the unnecessary waste.
00:46For comparison, Bristol still collects black bins fortnightly and recycles just under 50% of its household waste.
00:56It's slightly behind North Somerset and looking at similar ways to improve.
01:03So, where I live, it's down on the Bath Road and all of our bins are on the street. It's a mess all the time. We've been complaining about it for years.
01:11There's rats everywhere. It stinks, and there already wasn't enough bin collections, and there wasn't enough bins for each building, but there's no space for them.
01:21So, it was already kind of in... It was already a bit of a rubbish situation, excuse the pun.
01:26But I think going to three weeks would be enough. I think people would want to just move out. I don't think it would be.
01:34I can't see how it could be a good thing for people. I think probably money-wise for someone it's quite good, but I think apart from that, I can't see any benefits.
01:41Last year, a study found that 18% of black bin contents were recyclable materials and 27% as food waste.
01:52The council's aiming to do better, and weekly recycling collections, including new red bags for soft plastics, are a key part of the plan.
02:01These bags will take place to previously tricky items like cling film, plastic wrap, and crisp packets, wastes that would otherwise head straight to landfill.
02:11But what do locals think, and should Bristol follow suit?
02:15No, no. No, no, absolutely not. But I don't know anybody who is. Is anybody saying that it's great?
02:22No, I don't think so.
02:23No, and I certainly don't think anybody is saying that my bin collection is great, and I wish it was only three weeks.
02:32No, I think it sounds rubbish.
02:34I think it should be weekly.
02:38And, yeah, I don't know why it's monthly.
02:41Bins not being collected, so obviously we can learn from another city.
02:44If that happens, obviously we're just going to get loads of rats polluted, loads of rubbish lying around, it's just not a good site, is it?
02:52What do you think would happen to, like, your area if it was literally once a month?
