North Shore residents are kicking up a stink over changes to their garbage collections, reports Helen Laurent
Like death and taxes, the weekly household rubbish collection is one of life's certainties. But the way North Shore residents dispose of their rubbish may change.
North Shore City Council is considering switching from the
official rubbish bags, bought from supermarkets, to wheelie bins.
Smaller bins would be used for recyclable items, similar to Auckland City.
The council set up its rubbish bag system in 1989 with recyclable bins brought in for fortnightly collection in 2005.
There are also private companies who collect rubbish -put out in wheelie bins and bags - with about 20 per cent of North Shore residents using those services.
The new investigation comes after the council's waste disposal contractor, Onyx, reported 72 injuries to collection staff in 2006-2007.
Council spokeswoman Annabelle Ellis says the injuries were mainly lacerations to hands and arms from unwrapped glass and back strain from falls and picking up the bags.
Ms Ellis says the investigation is still in its early stages and there will be public consultation later in the year.
``The pros are that it will eliminate injuries to contractors and will limit waste as people won't be able to buy heaps of bags,' she says.
Reaction from the community has, so far, been mixed. Warwick Jones, of Birkenhead Residents and Ratepayers Association, says his group would support the change as long as there was no increase in cost to residents and private contractors' rubbish bags were still available.
However, he believes options are still needed. ``Some people do not have the space for wheelie bins and some people are not mobile enough to manoeuvre the bins. People need choices,' he says.
The council is considering car clip-ons for those with steep driveways as an option.
Albany community co-ordinator Robynne Pringle is in favour of phasing out bags.
``Wheelie bins would mean less plastic bags going into landfill and that has to be good for the environment.'
She points out that while some people, particularly the elderly, would have trouble manoeuvring the bins, bags can be more difficult.
Bins or rubbish bags - what do you prefer? Email your thoughts to: helen.laurent@theaucklander.co.nz
