Households in the Burnham-On-Sea area could soon have their bins emptied only once every three weeks if new proposals get the go-ahead.

Somerset Waste Partnership, which oversees waste collection in our area, says the move could save about £1.7m annually across the county while encouraging more recycling and cutting the amount of rubbish ending up in landfill sites.

If the new system is approved by local authorities it could come into operation from autumn next year.

Managing director Steve Read said: “At the moment, it’s costing us over £12m just to put things in a hole in the ground.”

“When there are so many other pressures on services that are provided local authorities, that seems like something that together as a whole community, we can do something about.”

Trials took place within the Taunton Deane borough in 2014 which saw more than 1,000 households have their collection of black bag waste reduced from fortnightly to three-weekly, retaining a weekly recycling and food waste service. The trials were described by the partnership as having achieved ‘significant success’.

A spokesperson from SWP said: “The proposal is to add plastic pots, tubs and trays (as in yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and fruit trays) plus household batteries and small electrical items (kettles, toasters, radios etc – if fit into a carrier bag) to the weekly recycling collections.

The plastic items take up a large amount of space in the average Burnham-on-Sea rubbish bin, so taking them out every week will make a big difference in the amount of rubbish to be collected if the proposal is agreed by councillors.

It remains the case that 50% of the average Burnham-on-Sea rubbish bin is materials that could be recycled each week at the kerbside today under existing services and another 10% could go to recycling sites, yet burying that rubbish costs every council tax payer their share of £12million a year.”

 
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