Sedgemoor District Council executive vote in favour of Somerset West Partnership Recycle More scheme

The 'Recycle More' plan from Somerset Waste Partnership would see refuse bins collected once a week, recycling collected once a week and more items will be recyclable. 

The scheme is subject to approval from all six partners involved. Sedgemoor joins Taunton Deane Borough Council is recommending the plans go ahead. 

Sedgemoor's executive met yesterday (December 7) to discuss the plans and it was decided that it would be backed.

The final decision will be made on Friday, December 16, at the Somerset Waste Board meeting. 

The plans come following a trial in 2014 in Wiveliscombe.

Chairman of Sedgemoor District Council’s scrutiny committee, Brian Smedley, said the trials’ success based in Wiveliscombe would not translate to bigger urban areas like Bridgwater.

John O’Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance: “Council tax was raised this year and local residents have every right to expect to receive more for their money, not less. Council tax represents a large outlay for hard-press families and they want it to fund basic essential services and bin collection is about as basic as it gets. Bosses at the Council need to make sure that they have found all necessary savings and cut out all waste before they can ever start to think about threatening local residents with restricted services."

We asked some Somerset residents their thoughts: 

Ray Parr, 67, Taunton, said: "I would say I am against it unless they made it really straight forward. 
"You walk past bins that still have bits left in them that people have put in thinking that they can recycle it. 
"You buy things in the supermarket and you aren't ever too sure if you should throw it away or recycle it. 
"There is only two people in our house so it isn't too bad, but if we are paying the same amount of money we should be getting the same service."

Martin Cook, 67, Taunton, said: "I would be against the changes, I think every two weeks is enough. 
"We recycle a lot so it is good that we could be able to recycle more but my thoughts would go to the big families with kids that would have a lot more waste than us." 

Carla Griffith, 70, Taunton, said: "I would be fine with the bins being collected every three weeks. 
"I only usually put mine out once a month anyway. 
"I would like to see a wider range of recycling, I put a ball of silver foil in there once and I never know if it can be taken or not. 
"I would feel sorry for bigger families though."

Susan Pipe, 62, Bridgwater, said: "My bin is often half empty anyway so I wouldn't mind too much.
"I would like to know exactly what could be recycled though, they often reject my plastic yoghurt pots but in other places in the country they would be taken. 
"It would be good to see some consistency about what can and cannot be recycled."