Tendring recycling scheme ‘a mess’ (From Essex County Standard)

Tendring recycling scheme ‘a mess’

10:00am Saturday 28th April 2012 in Countywide news

A FORMER council environment chief has condemned as an “unholy mess” changes to Tendring’s recycling services.

Chris Kitcher launched a scathing attack on the new collections, calling them a “shambles”.

The changes have caused anger among residents who are upset some plastics can no longer be recycled and will end up in landfill.

Many claim the amount of rubbish they are forced to put in black bags has more than doubled since the changes were introduced in Clacton.

The council insists more trash will now be recycled after the introduction of waste food waste collections.

However, Mr Kitcher described the new scheme as the “worst of all worlds”.

Mr Kitcher, who was acting head of environmental services at the council for six years, said he had been working on proposals for a modern waste and recycling service for more than four years and proposed fortnightly wheelie bin collections for rubbish and recycling and weekly waste food collections.

However, he accused senior cabinet members of refusing to listen to officers’ advice.

Deputy council leader Peter Halliday said they were advised by senior officers throughout, adding: “Mr Kitcher’s way forward was a fortnightly waste collection collected in wheelie bins – two things our electorate were in objection to and we all know the problems created by fortnightly waste collection.”