York council recycling bins- opposition councillors react

City of York Council opposition Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Cllr Paula Widdowson said larger families and people in terraced houses could struggle with storing four weeks' worth of recycling in new bins. Cllr Chris Steward, the council's Conservative group leader, said they welcomed the proposals but had concerns about how they would be paid for. Council Labour Environment Executive Member Cllr Jenny Kent said the proposals were about reducing street litter, making recycling easier and saving money long-term. It comes as proposals to roll out two 180L recycling bins to up to 63,000 households are set to go before the council's executive on Wednesday, September 9. RECOMMENDED READING: The changes would see households given two bins, one for paper and card and another for glass, tins and plastic. Each of them would be collected once every four weeks in a two-week alternating cycle. The proposals come as the council looks to save £520,000 from its waste collection services over the next two years. They are set to cost an estimated £2.8 million, with the cost set to be recouped in the coming years and the moves expected to result in long-term savings. The moves also come ahead of requirements for soft plastics to be collected from kerbsides by March next year. York recycling collection (Image: City of York Council) Council officials have said the changes would make collections more efficient, recycling easier for the elderly and disabled, reduce the risk of staff injuries and stop litter blowing off boxes. But Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Cllr Widdowson said the changes were being sold as making recycling easier but would in reality see people wait four weeks for each collection. Cllr Widdowson said: 'Giving people bigger bins doesn't solve the problem if they then have to store four weeks' worth of recycling in them. That will be particularly difficult for larger families and people living in York's terraced streets. 'If Labour really wants people to recycle more, they should make recycling collections more convenient, not less frequent. 'Labour must explain why residents are being asked to spend £2.8m on a new system while also facing less frequent recycling collections and £520,000 of cuts to the waste service.' Conservative Cllr Steward said residents he had spoken to had broadly welcomed the plans. The group's leader said: 'There were some who wanted to keep their boxes rather than get bins, I welcome that this seems to be allowed under the plans. 'The way the change is being brought in through the capital budget rather than potentially the revenue budget looks another case of the administration needlessly storing up more things to be paid for through debt.' Luke Charters, Labour MP for York Outer, said the proposals were really welcome. The MP said: 'Residents across York Outer have raised the current recycling boxes with me, particularly how awkward they can be to carry and how easily their contents can end up blowing down the street. 'This is a sensible, practical proposal and I hope councillors give it their backing.' Council officials have said the changes would increase households' capacity to recycle overall. Council environmental services lead Ian Hoult said a further 10,000 homes including those in terraced streets with limited storage space will be looked at in future years in more detail. Labour's Environment Executive Member Cllr Kent said the proposals allow cheaper waste lorries to be used and make collections quicker, saving the council money. The executive member said: 'Either Liberal Democrats don't understand the finances or they are choosing to misrepresent them, showing yet again that they are more interested in opposition for opposition's sake than in representing their residents' interests. 'This will mystify all those with friends and relatives across the country who've had the benefit of wheelie bins for years.'