Will the New Forest get wheelie bins?
Deadline extended on waste and recycling survey
Last updated 14th Dec 2020
You've now got a bit longer to have a say on New Forest District Council's waste strategy. The closing date is nos Sunday the 20th December 2020.
It was changed after technical issues earlier this week on the New Forest District Council website.
Problems online meant the 'feedback form' wasn't available during Thursday afternoon (10 December), the original closing date of the public consultation.
To make up for the 'technical outage' you've been given more opportunity to have a say.
The original four week consultation began on 12th November 2020.
WHEELIE BINS IDEA
New Forest District Council is one of the last authorities in the country to still be using single use plastic bags to collect general waste and recycling,. They hand out bags 10 million a year. It also utilises reusable bags for garden waste and boxes for a four week recycled glass collection.
The proposed new waste strategy would give households in The New Forest two wheelie bins, one for general waste and one for recyclable waste including glass.
More recyclable plastic items would be included like pots, tubs and trays whilst paper and card would go in a separate reusable hessian type bag.
An alternate weekly service would be introduced where general waste is collected one week and recycling the other.
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WHY ARE THE CHANGES NEEDED?
New Forest District Council needs to improve its recycling rate.
It currently recycles 34% of rubbish which is well below the national average of 44% and "significantly lower" than the national target of 55% by 2025.
In 2018/19 NFDC's performance was ranked 286th out of 345 councils in England.
The Environment Bill released in January also states that council will be required to provide weekly food waste collections by 2023.
Currently 40% of black bag waste in the New Forest District Council is food waste.
Supporters also say having wheelie bins will be safer for those homes living within the National Park boundary where the current sack service can have "an adverse effect on livestock and wildlife."
Changes to the waste and recycling collection service are expected no earlier than 2022.
Cllr Alison Hoare, NFDC portfolio holder for environment, said:
“I have been pleased to see a great deal of useful discussion in our public engagement around the proposals put forward in our draft waste strategy. More than 3,000 people have commented online and we are still receiving many comments through our website and the post. It is clear that local people care for their environment and would like to minimise our waste. We are keen to hear from local people how our proposals will work for them so that we can develop a service that works best for the local area, and for our environment.
"I am extending the deadline for comments further, until Sunday 20 December, to give more people an opportunity to read the information and tell us their views.”