Brackley family calls bin fiasco 'Orwellian' as inspectors line up to check recycling

West Northants Council (WNC) is to change its waste programme next spring from fortnightly collections to every three weeks..

The family has two infants in nappies and are seriously worried about hygeine, with up to 12 soiled nappies daily – 250 in three weeks - collecting in their black bin along with other waste.

The children’s mother said: “Their website sounds like double-speak from (George Orwell’s book) 1984.

"It says ‘WNC will harmonise the frequency of black bin collections for those properties with individual wheeled bins’ – as if the word ‘harmonise’ is going to make people think this will all be lovely.

"They say we should have enough space if we recycle enough - but we have a full bin of each, every two weeks.

"They say they appreciate that households with children in nappies may produce a larger quantity of waste. ‘If you have one or two children in nappies then the size of your black bin should be adequate if you are fully recycling your other waste’.

"It's all dressed up as being for the environment and recycling but they say ‘items such as disposable nappies, absorbent hygeine products and animal waste should be double bagged and tied tightly before putting in the black bin to minimise smell’. “So because our nappies will be hanging around for three weeks they want us to double bag them, encouraging us to use even more unrecyclable plastic bags. They say ‘don’t overfill your bags and keep lids fully closed’. All this is going to be harder to achieve.

“Suggesting we are not recycling well enough is patronising. Our recycle bin is always full and we can’t recycle more than we do.”

The mother says households may apply for a bigger bin but the online link takes the searcher elsewhere.

"They say they will send a representative to assess whether you can have one or not,” she said.

"I will probably have to apply for a bigger bin and suffer some henchman coming to my house and looking through my bin to check I know the difference between different types of plastic.”

Cllr Nigel Stansfield, Cabinet Member for Environment, Recycling and Waste, said: "We understand that some residents, particularly families with young children in nappies, may have concerns about moving to three-weekly general waste collections.

“That's why we have arrangements in place for larger households and families who may need additional bin capacity as they have two or more children in nappies.

“Residents will be able to call on 0300 126 7000 and discuss their requirements with a member of staff before delivery of a new bin is arranged where required.

“Securely wrapping nappies in a nappy sack before being placed in the household bin sack will be sufficient.

“This approach is not new. The 123+ service has been operating successfully in the Daventry area since 2018, and we have found that the additional capacity arrangements work well for residents who need them.

“As happened in Daventry, where other councils have introduced less frequent general waste collections, they’ve seen increased recycling rates. Fewer collections also means lower vehicle emissions, making it better for the environment all round.”