Despite a 3,000 signature petition against wheelie bins in Ealing, the council has approved the proposal to bring them to the leafy borough.
Ealing Council’s cabinet agreed proposals to increase recycling in the borough by introducing wheelie bins and switching to alternate weekly collections of refuse and recycling.
The plans were approved by the council’s cabinet on Tuesday (June 16) and are expected to be introduced in late spring next year.
The council claim that the new mixed recycling service will make it easier for people to recycle and help the council reach its target of recycling 50% of household waste by 2018.
However, the Tory opposition claim that over 3,000 Ealing residents signed their petition to tell the council that they don’t want wheelie bins for rubbish and recycling.
Councillor David Millican said: “At last week’s Northfield Ward Forum, in a show of hands, only two residents, out of the more than 75 who attended, said they wanted wheelie bins.
“I have been contacted by so many residents concerned that they will clutter up their front gardens, as there is nowhere else to store them; will damage cars as they manhandled through parked cars; will be difficult for older residents to manhandle. Ealing’s Labour council must listen to residents’ demands.”
Most households that currently have the doorstep refuse and recycling service will be given two wheelie bins – one for refuse, which is currently disposed of in black sacks, and one for mixed recycling.
With the exception of food waste, residents will no longer be required to sort recycling into separate containers, but place it all in one wheelie bin which will be collected fortnightly.
The other wheelie bin for refuse will also be collected fortnightly on the week in-between recycling collections. Food waste will continue to be collected from the food waste bins every week.
'Fundamental changes'
Similar systems have been introduced in many other parts of the country, including in the neighbouring boroughs of Brent and Harrow, who have seen recycling rates rise by 12% and 22% respectively following the switch.
As well as improving recycling rates, the council have stated that the new system is expected to considerably reduce the amount of rubbish on the streets caused by black sacks being torn open by foxes and vermin.
Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, cabinet member for transport, environment and leisure, said: “We currently spend an enormous £10m a year sending waste to landfill, but research shows that two thirds of the contents of black sacks could be recycled.
“Not only is that bad for the environment, but an enormous waste of money and the costs of sending waste to landfill are only expected to rise.
“I’m pleased we’ve agreed these plans to make recycling easier because we must make fundamental changes to the system if we are going to further increase recycling rates.”
Properties on red routes will continue to use black sacks for rubbish and their usual clear sacks for recycling.
Those in flats, who have a bulky or paladin bin for communal recycling or refuse, will have no change.
Residents in Southall who already have wheelie bins will receive an additional one for their recycling.
There is a European-wide target to ensure half of household waste is recycled by 2020.
The council will assess properties which it feels are not suitable for a wheelie bin and provide the same service offered to homes on red routes.
All cabinet decisions are subject to call-in for a period of five working days from the date of publication of the minutes of the meeting.
