'Disastrous' bin system will go - council leader

Residents have to divide recycling into separate bags

A council leader has said his party will deliver on its election pledge to scrap a "disastrous bin system", bring back weekly rubbish collections, and simplify recycling.

Since November, residents in Basildon, Essex, have had to split their rubbish and recycling into six different sections, with refuse collected fortnightly.

The changes by the then Conservative-controlled Basildon Council were aimed at boosting recycling rates but sparked complaints and an independent councillor claimed festering waste was putting public health at risk.

Gavin Callaghan, the Labour leader of Basildon Council, said: “We are going to be taking a report to the cabinet on Thursday looking at how we go back to weekly black sack collections. That is a promise we made and that is a promise we are going to deliver."

'Look to move quickly'

Labour is the largest party at the borough council since the local elections in May, in which the Conservatives were defeated and no party achieved overall control.

“I am acutely aware that we won the election by essentially making it a referendum on the disastrous bin system," added Mr Callaghan.

"You pay the highest rate of council tax in Basildon Council’s history and the council has not done a very good job at collecting your waste and collecting your bins."

He said the council would consult residents on their preferences, including the use of bin bags or wheelie bins.

"We will look to move very quickly so we align the black bins going weekly with whatever the new system is for the recycling," he added.