MHK urges Douglas Council to bring back weekly black bin collections

Black bin collections in Douglas were cut to fortnightly in September

Cutting weekly black bin collections in the Isle of Man's capital to once every two weeks has had a "major impact" on residents, a local MHK has said.

David Ashford has called on Douglas Council to reverse the policy, introduced in September in a bid to boost recycling rates and cut costs.

The move has angered some ratepayers and resulted in some streets being "littered with rubbish", he said.

Douglas Council has been contacted for a response.

More than 12,000 households have been affected by the switch to fortnightly collections, which was preceded by the introduction of a new twice-monthly garden waste collection service in August.

The authority previously said the move would save up to £25,000 by increasing Douglas' recycling rates and reducing waste disposal fees at the island's energy from waste plant.

"Disgusting mess"

In an open letter to the council Mr Ashford said the "ill thought out and ill conceived" change was "failing on so many levels", with some abandoning waste bags on the street due to a lack of space in their bins.

The requirement for those who want a second black bin to be assessed by the authority "smacks of big brother", and councillors had "failed to take residents with them" in their push for greater recycling, Mr Ashford said.

Kerbside recycling collection boxes were too small and could not be easily stored, he added.

Landlord Brian Stowell, who owns a number of flats in central Douglas, said some tenants were storing bags in shared hallways due to a lack of space, with others leaving them alongside the full black bins.

Food waste and other items pulled from the bins by "all sorts of animals rooting their way through" often spilled onto the road and caused a "disgusting mess that can only get worse", he added.