This is yet another hot air story from the council. In and around Haydon End we still have sporadic waste collection and NO green waste disposal (despite the council's website dispaying 100% of all Swindon homes having the service). If the coucil aren't hitting recycling targets you don't have to look too far for the reason...thousands of new homes with mountains of packaging from new appliances and the only recipient...landfill
.

Well done Swindon - that's a progressive attitude. I for one won't be bearing the cost of any fines levied on our lazt council.

If they dropped the charge per bag for collecting plastic bottles (apparently due to their bulk and transport cost) it might be more successful. I'm happy to recycle as much as possible, but not to pay for the privilege - aren't I doing the council a favour by reducing their landfill tax?

The council will only recycle what they can sell on. It's a money making business and don't be fooled into believing anything else from their spin. If they were genuine about the environment they would:
1). Open another major recycyling centre. The ratio of residents to centres is twice that of neighbouring Oxfordshire and North Wiltshire authorities.

2). Collect mixed polymer plastics (which costs them to recycyle) and offset the costs against other, more profitable waste.

3). Collect food waste.

The above three actions could reduce landfill by a further 20 per cent. But they won't because it costs money.

Any improvement would be a step in the right direction, but it will still mean trips to Purton (much better that Cheney Manor, possibly because it is not run by SBC)to recycle what still won't be collected!

PS - If we are to receive a discount on Council Tax in the future for recycling what about bringing all the waste paper home from work! He! He!

I lived in bath 13 years ago and they had doorstep collections for recycling then. Swindon is way behind the times.
As for having the best system, They have a long way to go before making such a claim.

Swindon could have the best recycling system in the country.

This will not be the best scheme in the country. Where is the seperate collection of plastics and the collection of food waste for composting.

I think someone at the the adver has been hoodwinked by a fancy press release or presentation.

i have no front garden and i will not be wheeling the bon through my house, recycling boxes will be kept out the back and if wet will not be carried through the house.

i dont mind recycling but having moved from west swindon where it was trialed it will not work. the drivers and rubbish men are idiots, very rude and do not care

i live in a flat and have bin sheds so how are they going to do this.then there is the fines how are they going to tell whos rubbish it is the council need to wise up!!!

We have a excellent recycling system in the developing world. Down-and-outs, and those incapable of performing other work sort through the garbage on the tip site for recycling. Result … they earn money, don't get involved in criminal activities, and the environment benefits. In the UK it would also save additional money (tax) by not having to pay them the dole!

Look no matter what the council are or not doing we ALL have a duty to recycle, who cares if they are making money out of it, its only going to go to landfill otherwise.
Its not the council who are lazy, this is going to mean MORE owrk for them, its the people who cant be bothered or who come up with idle excuses.
For the sake of the future of our children we cannot keep shoving stuff in landfill and forgetting about it, theres only so much space we have on our planet.

I suggest you all wake up, stop making excuses, get off your fat backsides and start being responsible.
I have been recyling for years, as much as I can, I am very happy with the fact that my recycling will now be collected and I wont have to make trips to do it.

Its totally disgusting the amount of rubbish chucked away into landfill.

I use Swindon Freecycle to "recycle" all of my servicable large items. If you have something too big to be dumped, then advertise it here and someone who can make good use of it will take it away for free:

http://groups.yahoo.
com/group/swindon_fr
eecycle

Much better than having to pay the council to dispose of a fridge or washing machine for example!

Above link got mangled by stupid online form. Try:

http://tinyurl.com/2
st7jd

or

www.freecycle.org

quote

I suggest you all wake up, stop making excuses, get off your fat backsides and start being responsible.

I have three makeshift bins in my garage to recycle glass, plastic, paper and foil. My recycling is limited by the provisions at ASDA Walmart - which is often overflowing. The lack of cardboard recylcing is the most frustrating and often the most bulky for landfill...

Don't tell me to load my car up and explore other recycling centres, this just clogs up the roads and doesn't help with my size 12 carbon footprint.

In my opinion the council haven't done enough to foster a strong recycling ethic in the new areas. It wouldn't have taken a lot of forethought to link up with the developers and provide bins and collection routes for the sprawling masses in North Swindon.

A question for those of you who waste your time and effort recycling:

Do you honestly believe you're doing any good?

What about all the new flats being built in the town centre?

Thousands of them?

I live in a flat and we have asked the Council about recycling but they say there is no provision to provide recycling facilities for blocks of flats. This is surely crazy, as they could provide large colour-coded wheelie bins for use by all residents rather than just say it can't be done?

There is a growing trend for city-centre living so something should be done.

I do recycle my paper, glass, plastic bottles, tins and green waste. The paper and green waste is collected every 2 weeks, while the rest I take to the supermarket recycling centre when I do my weekly shop. My general waste has gone down fron 3 bags per week to just over 1. I am sure my recycling attempts seem miniscule in the big picture, however multiply this by the thousands of homes in Swindo and that is a big reduction in landfill. My reasons for recycling are not to reduce global warming as I believe the current debate is not fully proven, it is purely to reduce the amount that goes into a hole in the ground. I agree the scheme will not be perfect and any heavy handed fines for putting the wrong rubbish out, or paying for general rubbish to be collected will only lead to an increase in fly tipping. I am however prepared to give this initiative a fair crack of the whip. What we also should remember is that the council is only responding to government and EU targets on recycling. If they are not met, they will be fined and that cost Will be passed on in council tax.

Big Mac wrote:
A question for those of you who waste your time and effort recycling: Do you honestly believe you're doing any good?

As an individual, no. But if everyone were to recycle a small percentage of their household waste, then yes, it will make a difference.

What about collecting the un-recyleable rubbish that rots and smells weekly and the glass, paper & plastics fortnightly?

Because it would cost 50% more in bin lorry trips. Do the math, as the Americans say.

Pav wrote:

Big Mac wrote:
A question for those of you who waste your time and effort recycling: Do you honestly believe you're doing any good?

As an individual, no. But if everyone were to recycle a small percentage of their household waste, then yes, it will make a difference.

Everyone in Swindon can recycle if they choose but it only takes "one" plane journey to the "Costa de Earth" to undo all the good work.

I recyle but i know its make no difference.

What about all the junk mail delivered by the Post Office and by leafleteers every day and crummy newspapers every week.

Why should I have to pay to dispose of their unwanted junk?

This is one of the worse thought out plans I have ever known. Those councilors intending to stand for MP should think again as this will be your "Poll Tax" mess".

C'mon Blues, sort it out without digging deeper!

What happens if I am on Holiday and miss a collection?

Will I be taken to court and fined for placing too much rubbish in a really ugly wheely bin?

Yes to recyling. No to this p1ss poor planning of a cost cutting non-idea.

If the smell rotting meat becomes unbearable because of a bi-weekly collection I will bring it to your house Mr Tomlinson.

We pay an amount (that rises every year) within our Council Tax to have our refuse collected, weekly, and disposed of.

Recycling and fortnightly collections are a MASSIVE con which a gullible public have swallowed along with the tasty 'green' pill it's been ushered in with.

Have your Council Tax bills been reduced? No. Have your refuse collections been reduced? Yes.

Recycling is an utter waste of time and is completely futile.

Every single global warming researcher on the planet knows that the very worst thing any human being can do in terms of environmental damage and global warming is to have children.

Strangely, not one single political party has mentioned it.

You can recycle whatever you want, as much as you want. Just be sure you're aware that it won't make the slightest difference to anything.

s smith wrote:
Look no matter what the council are or not doing we ALL have a duty to recycle, who cares if they are making money out of it, its only going to go to landfill otherwise. Its not the council who are lazy, this is going to mean MORE owrk for them, its the people who cant be bothered or who come up with idle excuses. For the sake of the future of our children we cannot keep shoving stuff in landfill and forgetting about it, theres only so much space we have on our planet. I suggest you all wake up, stop making excuses, get off your fat backsides and start being responsible. I have been recyling for years, as much as I can, I am very happy with the fact that my recycling will now be collected and I wont have to make trips to do it. Its totally disgusting the amount of rubbish chucked away into landfill.

Listen very carefully and stop ranting....
There are lots of people recycling, as you do. There are lots of people who don't, but may do under the "new initiative" (lol). There are those who won't care and will just fly tip. Your recycling doesn't matter to the future of the earth. It may make you feel good, but (and I am sorry to say), your efforts are hugely offset by others' activities. The only way to do anything is to stop using the resources in the first place - but that's just not going to happen. I recycle because it seems right. It won't save the planet (someone else's bonfire on November 5 negates my attempts, for example) but at least the waste can get turned into something else. If councils (not just Swindon)were really serious they would recycle loss making polymers and foodstuff. They don't. I am not knocking kerbside recycling. It may encourage others. However, for every item recycled, it had to be produced - that is what is helping to kill the planet and that will not change. Swindon council need a more diverse collection to avoid landfill. They won't.

Roll on the recycling boxes here - the amount of card (cereal packs mostly)we get through is amazing & the only place to recycle them is at Cheney Manor - or out of the borough & let's face it who wants to sit in a half hour queue at Cheney Manor for the sake of a load of card? Why - we haven't had any recycling boxes (or council tax rebate) at all! Not so keen on fortnightly wheely bins although our landfill is only one black sack a week.

James Sheriden wrote:
We pay an amount (that rises every year) within our Council Tax to have our refuse collected, weekly, and disposed of. Recycling and fortnightly collections are a MASSIVE con which a gullible public have swallowed along with the tasty \'green\' pill it\'s been ushered in with. Have your Council Tax bills been reduced? No. Have your refuse collections been reduced? Yes. Recycling is an utter waste of time and is completely futile. Every single global warming researcher on the planet knows that the very worst thing any human being can do in terms of environmental damage and global warming is to have children. Strangely, not one single political party has mentioned it. You can recycle whatever you want, as much as you want. Just be sure you\'re aware that it won\'t make the slightest difference to anything.

To add to that instead of penalising ordinary people, the ones who really should be penalised are the big businesses that insist on excess packaging, often made of non-recyclable materials. Some of the packaging is so difficult to get into I feel sorry for disabled people.

Another thing to contemplate is: WERE THE GOOD PEOPLE OF SWINDON ASKED IF THEY WANTED THIS FOISTED ON THEM? I certainly wasn't and I doubt anyone else was either.

For the record I recycle whenever possible and use a compost bin.

This whole idea of recycling is just another ploy by both our greedy government and our greedy councils to extort more money out of us and criminalise law-abiding citizens as has happened in other areas.

I can see civil disobedience happening over this.

One point on this scheme. Why will they collect recycled rubbish every week but only every two weeks for Household waste ?. In effect they will be making more journeys in 11 new lorries which have just been purchased for this purpose only. Who really wants smelly bins uncollected for 2 weeks anyway ? . Why was there no consultation about this either. Perhaps they know what the public really thinks.

http://forum.swindon
advertiser.co.uk/vie
wtopic.php?t=245

"What about all the junk mail delivered by the Post Office and by leafleteers every day and crummy newspapers every week."

SEND IT BACK UNSTAMPED!!

"Every single global warming researcher on the planet knows that"... people have to change their consumption habits, recycling IS quite useless but changing habits is not. We do not need two cars, three TVs, tens of new gadgets every year and so on. This is the real problem, conspicuous consumption by everyone as levels of expendible income are higher than they have ever been and still rising.

terence wrote:
"Every single global warming researcher on the planet knows that"... people have to change their consumption habits, recycling IS quite useless but changing habits is not. We do not need two cars, three TVs, tens of new gadgets every year and so on. This is the real problem, conspicuous consumption by everyone as levels of expendible income are higher than they have ever been and still rising.

Quite wrong, many researchers, even the governement's own advisors, are saying that the UK's initiatives are miniscule in the global picture.

In our presently affluent society, people do not live on Third World basic needs and never will (except a minority of green fanatics)unless this government reduces us to it with their punitive taxation and pseudo-green policies. Most of us do not want to change and see less and less reason to do so as government brainwashing and propaganda wears off exposing reality. We like having two or three cars, several TVs and keeping warm in winter.

If you think your electricity bills are high now, you ain't seen nothing yet with £7 billion being spent on windpower and £1 billion for each major new conventional super green power plant which will only reduce already low carbon emissions to very low emissions.

When you look at the emissions from China and the Third World which are growing year on year, our token gensture will only make us less competitive in the real world. France can laugh at us with nearly 80% of their energy being from nuclear plant (no carbon footprint there) so they don't have to spend all this money.

Reality and ideology clash here and reality has to win if we are to remain a prosperous nation. What is the use of becoming the poor green man of Europe and lowering our living standards and quality of life just to prove an ideological point?

One thing we agree on, however,is that recycling is a futile gesture and is more concerned with Euro-penalties for landfill and making tidy profits for recycling companies!

My paper is collected fortnightly, kerbside collection. I take glass, cans, foil and plastic bottles to Sainsburys at Stratton. Can anyone tell me where locally I can take other plastic - ie meat trays, yogurt pots etc? At the moment I take them to Stanford recycling centre on the way to my mums, but it seems a bit mad that there is nowhere more local.

JK wrote:
My paper is collected fortnightly, kerbside collection. I take glass, cans, foil and plastic bottles to Sainsburys at Stratton. Can anyone tell me where locally I can take other plastic - ie meat trays, yogurt pots etc? At the moment I take them to Stanford recycling centre on the way to my mums, but it seems a bit mad that there is nowhere more local.

Swindon won't take mixed polymers (packaging) or polystyrene (yoghurt pots). It costs them to recycle it. I take mine to Stanford as well because I work in Oxfordshire occasionally. I wouldn't call myself a "greenie", but Oxfordshire has Green Party councillors. All Swindon has is the three lumbering, clueless parties. It shows in their recycling policies. I like the Adver comment about Swindon moving towards one of the best recycling systems in the country. Yeah, right!

CK and Andy B: It has been in the last two years' local election manifestos. I'm not keen on this half baked, publicity seeking spin myself. But, if you were two of the 65 per cent who didn't bother to vote at the last two elections - tough poo. If you did vote for a party advocating it - tough poo again. It's called democracy. Unfortunatly, it stinks (a bit like your wheelie bins will) if enough people don't vote the right way.

I have been recycling for 10 years I am really glad that finally we get a collection from our doors - has be a step in the right direction

PG wrote:
CK and Andy B: It has been in the last two years\' local election manifestos. I\'m not keen on this half baked, publicity seeking spin myself. But, if you were two of the 65 per cent who didn\'t bother to vote at the last two elections - tough poo. If you did vote for a party advocating it - tough poo again. It\'s called democracy. Unfortunatly, it stinks (a bit like your wheelie bins will) if enough people don\'t vote the right way.

I have always voted but did not vote for a party advocating this (at least not printed in their manifesto). We've had recycling boxes for cardboard and paper for some time which I use.

What I object to most is the wheelie bins not being collected for 2 weeks at a time. I've used wheelie bins before. Where I used to live was one of the first councils to try them - and that was 20 years ago! They are good as they keep vermin out but ours were emptied every week. Therein lies the difference . Also, the wheelie bins here are not so big as the ones we used to have.

Going back further (and some of the older writers will know this), nearly everyone had open fires. We used to burn most of our household waste. The only thing that was put out for collection was the ashes and tin cans. Open fires started being blamed for pollution in the 1960s and it became fashionable to have central heating, so now, 40 years later, we have another problem - what to do with the rubbish that we used to burn.

Another thing that adds to the problem is years ago everyone got their milk delivered in glass bottles. You used the milk, washed the bottles and put them out for the milkman to collect.

Now most people (including myself) buy at the supermarket. Plastic or waxed card containers. Not very recyclable.

To pick up on Terence's very valid point, we are a throwaway nation. As he rightly says, TV or whatever breaks down and we go buy a new one.

For example, most washing machines on average last 3 - 5 years. My last washing machine was a twenty year old English Electric automatic. My old dishwasher was an equally ancient Zanussi. My new dishwasher (a Bosch) was bought new. It's only 5 years old and is starting to play up. Most things are designed to keel over at around 5 years old. It is not worth getting them repaired. It's cheaper to buy a new one. Manufacturers take note.

As for cars. Too many of us are reliant on cars for short journeys. I cycle quite a lot which I enjoy. It is also quicker most of the time. I used to enjoy driving but not any more. There's too many speed cameras, too many speed humps and traffic calming - and too many vehicles on the road. I prefer cycling now.

One other point regarding recycling. No doubt we will all be expected to remove labels from tins and wash them out.

Is the Council going to reimburse us for the extra water used and the detergent, not to mention our time doing these extra tasks? No. Thought not!

CK wrote:

PG wrote: CK and Andy B: It has been in the last two years\' local election manifestos. I\'m not keen on this half baked, publicity seeking spin myself. But, if you were two of the 65 per cent who didn\'t bother to vote at the last two elections - tough poo. If you did vote for a party advocating it - tough poo again. It\'s called democracy. Unfortunatly, it stinks (a bit like your wheelie bins will) if enough people don\'t vote the right way.

I have always voted but did not vote for a party advocating this (at least not printed in their manifesto). We've had recycling boxes for cardboard and paper for some time which I use. What I object to most is the wheelie bins not being collected for 2 weeks at a time. I've used wheelie bins before. Where I used to live was one of the first councils to try them - and that was 20 years ago! They are good as they keep vermin out but ours were emptied every week. Therein lies the difference . Also, the wheelie bins here are not so big as the ones we used to have. Going back further (and some of the older writers will know this), nearly everyone had open fires. We used to burn most of our household waste. The only thing that was put out for collection was the ashes and tin cans. Open fires started being blamed for pollution in the 1960s and it became fashionable to have central heating, so now, 40 years later, we have another problem - what to do with the rubbish that we used to burn. Another thing that adds to the problem is years ago everyone got their milk delivered in glass bottles. You used the milk, washed the bottles and put them out for the milkman to collect. Now most people (including myself) buy at the supermarket. Plastic or waxed card containers. Not very recyclable. To pick up on Terence's very valid point, we are a throwaway nation. As he rightly says, TV or whatever breaks down and we go buy a new one. For example, most washing machines on average last 3 - 5 years. My last washing machine was a twenty year old English Electric automatic. My old dishwasher was an equally ancient Zanussi. My new dishwasher (a Bosch) was bought new. It's only 5 years old and is starting to play up. Most things are designed to keel over at around 5 years old. It is not worth getting them repaired. It's cheaper to buy a new one. Manufacturers take note. As for cars. Too many of us are reliant on cars for short journeys. I cycle quite a lot which I enjoy. It is also quicker most of the time. I used to enjoy driving but not any more. There's too many speed cameras, too many speed humps and traffic calming - and too many vehicles on the road. I prefer cycling now. One other point regarding recycling. No doubt we will all be expected to remove labels from tins and wash them out. Is the Council going to reimburse us for the extra water used and the detergent, not to mention our time doing these extra tasks? No. Thought not!

1) I have spoken to 3 prospective councillors in the last two years on my doorstep who were more than happy to discuss refuse collection with me. All policy issues are discussed at open council meetings where representations can be made.

2)I too used wheelie bins (in Dorset) twenty years ago. Yes they were bigger, but we didn't recycle to reduce the volume of waste.

3)Plastic bottles are very recyclable. "tetrapaks", as you say, are not.

4)With appliances, you get what you pay for. A top brand, such as Meile, will last for well over ten years (depending upon usage). However, years ago we used to wash-up by hand and go to launderettes (I had a twin tub which seemed to last forever and use very little water). Appliances are a lifesyle choice, we don't need them to survive. If they were built to last too long, the manufacturers would go out of business. On the plus side, we can recycle more parts of old appliances than before.

5)You don't have to remove labels from tins. I do, and put them in with my paper recycling. Yes, you do have to wash them. I do that with my normal pots and pans. So, no extra water consumption.

6) I don't know where car journeys come into a discussion on recycling, but you are right (in a way). However, there are numerous causes. 1980's and 90's housing estates with no social or commercial infrastructure means that people cannot walk to facilities and shops. Swindon is just as bad as hundreds of other towns with regard to this. Two kids and a weeks shopping is no fun on a bus.

I hope the powers that be, those in charge on the Council, (the Cabinet)the run - of - the - mill Councillors and the Waste Departments take note of some very good points on here?

The concerns of residents will only be totally clear when the whole thing has been up and running for some time.

Recycling in Swindon is still in the Dark Ages, or so it seems?

One doesn't need to look very far into the areas, which have been guinea pigs to the wheelie bins, as in West Swindon, on collection day to see the problems of overflowing wheelies and having to keep back some black bags of rubbish until the following week. Unless householders ask a neighbour with wheelie bin space or take the excess to the tip themselves!

However, that following week will be the week after next in the proposed plan.

Certain rules about overflowing wheelies will need to be relaxed if the operation is to work, fortnightly, at all.

With regards to the Public Amenity Tip, the ruling on refusing garden waste in plastic bags holds up seventy-five per cent of those dumping at this time of the year. Many of these plastic bags will decompose pretty quickly, if not over quite a short number of years. A couple of skips, purely for garden waste could be situated at ground level, near to the weighing machine, eliminating the need for many dumpers from joining the long queues to the top of the ramp. Of course, if the truth was known, the skip lorries cannot keep up with the amount of garden waste and bulk brought to the tip.

The organisation wants far too much co-operation and free labour from those who already pay Council Tax! Talk about 'cake and eat it'!

Ee-aw, ee-aw, ee-aleays says that!!!

Kennet (in particular the large car park behind Waitrose in Marlborough) has facilities for recycling plastics type 1,2,3. There is also a skip there for cardboard

PG. You say you get what you pay for.

My old washing machine was an English Electric (Hotpoint). It lasted over 20 years and was used on a daily basis. My Zanussi dishwasher was over 20 years old when it finally died. It was affectionately called "Lazarus" because of the amount of times we repaired it ourselves.

New washing machine is a Hotpoint - and no problems with it so far. Dishwasher is a Bosch - supposedly one of the best makes on the market. The programmer on it has gone wonky. It would cost as much to repair it as it would to replace it. Verdict on that one - an expensive waste of money. I would never buy Bosch again.

It is nonsense to suggest that manufacturers would go out of business if they built appliances to last. What do you think happened years ago? Appliances lasted much longer than they do now and manufacturers didn't go out of business like they do at the present day. They took pride in the durability of their products.

My first washing machine was a Servis twin-tub which I bought second-hand as a young newly-wed. It is the only washing machine I've ever seen which had a gas powered heater!!!

I'm not against recycling per se but I do object to the way it's being implemented.

I find it ludicrous that in other areas people have been criminalised and heavily fined because one tiny piece of paper has been put in the wrong box (in that particular case, by a child).

Donkey's spot on with what he says:

The organisation wants far too much co-operation and free labour from those who already pay Council Tax! Talk about 'cake and eat it'!

Will the Council Tax bills be reduced to compensate? No, they will not. They will just keep on rising while we do the Council's work for them.

This all started when the council suddenly decided they were no longer going to issue free black rubbish bags.

At the time I was astonished that people just shrugged and said 'Oh, well, fair enough'.

It wasn't fair at all. We were paying for something and they just decided to stop providing what we were paying for.

Then they used the hilarious excuse that it was 'too expensive'. Even the most basic grasp of economies of scale will tell you that a council purchasing millions of bag will be able to buy them a lot cheaper than you or I buying ten of them in Sainsburys.

Of course, the council tax bill wasn't reduced and we still ended up paying for the bags as basically yet another additional tax on throwing away our rubbish.

The council know they can do whatever they want, force us to do whatever we want and we'll just roll over and do it. This country is pathetic.

The council know they can do whatever they want, force us to do whatever we want and we'll just roll over and do it. This country is pathetic.

Well, the government is the perfect example of rolling over and doing it. Brussells says "Jump" and this weak government says "How high?" Little wonder the people of this country roll over too without so much as a murmur!

This landfill garbage (no pun intended) is yet another EU diktat that our government is only too willing to implement - because it means more money in the trough to stick their noses in.

The sooner we get out of the EU and get rid of this greedy, useless government the better.

When Ted Heath signed us up to the then Common Market, that was what it was supposed to be - a common market trading ground. The Common Market has mutated into a dictorial monster now called the EU.

I don't think there's any aspect of our lives left that the EU hasn't interfered with one way or the other - and it's costing us £billions.

If this summer proves to be very hot as the forecasters have predicted, we won't be able to breathe for the stench and there'll be flies and maggots everywhere. Flies carry disease.

When people are falling ill to diseases like Dysentery you can bet the government will be squealing that the NHS can't cope with it all.

Sorry to say, you can rant all you want about the EU, but it's Swindon's Tory Council who are putting in place a fortnightly collection of non recyclables!

Next April will see a dramatic rise in Council Tax to pay for 'errors of judgement' by this 'let's get elected' attitude of theirs in keeping Council Tax down ... it can't be done.

It's no use keep blaming the EU for common sense practice.

This system confuses me somewhat. At the moment, I have to leave my recycling box on my driveway as it will not be collected if it is on the path. I'd rather not block the path for everyone else. The council say that they will only allow people without adequate storage not to have a wheely bin. My problem is that my driveway has a fairly big slope, big enough that I think a wheely bin will fall over. Where exactly will I put it? I have a bad back and will have trouble getting it out of the back garden too.

I have no problem with recycling and do a lot already - my compost bin is also on order. What I do object to is having my perishable waste being collected fortnightly instead of weekly. The Council say they've consulted with Swindon residents but how come most people I speak to know nothing about the forthcoming changes? Our MP, Michael Wills, has a petition to retain the weekly perishable rubbish collections. Please take a moment to sign it on-line at:
www.michaeldwills.co
.uk/petitions
The Council are not listening to people at the moment - we can only change this if as many people as possible protest through this petition so that the Council finally has to listen.