Cardiff Post Article October 2008

Despite several requests to officials, my husband and colleague Adrian Robson and I have alerted the Council to the fact that we still haven’t received the necessary container and bags to get started for the Councils new Food Waste Collection Scheme.  Having checked with a number of friends and family, we are not alone.  If you haven’t received yours, please contact me and I’ll log it with Waste Management.

Cardiff Council have started collecting food waste, and there have been many teething issues. The major problem has been Councillors and Members of Public contacting Waste Management and being told that the waste would be collected that day.  In some parts of Rhiwbina, this was reiterated on several days, and still seven days later, at the time of going to press, residents are still waiting.

From my conversations with residents, several people remain confused about the scheme.  One lady told me that she was going to use her container for tea lights, another as a canary cage and a further person was going to use them for flowers!  Residents need to line the kitchen caddy with the liners provided and place in cooked or uncooked foods.  Unlike the green recycling bags, there is no label at the end of the roll to allow the refuse collectors to leave more bags and I feel that the Council may not maximise the amount of food waste they wish to collect as they expect residents to phone Connect to Cardiff or collect them from a local supplier.   

When full, tie it securely and put it into your green bin (or white biodegradable bags if you don’t have wheelie bins).  Green bins and white biodegradable bags will now be collected weekly.  The waste will be processed through a special composting facility and the end product will be used for land restoration. I am concerned that the white bags, when mixed with brambles and tree cuttings will break and will cause additional work for residents who will have to wash the inside of their green bin every week.

I fully support the Council’s endeavours with regard to recycling, but they need to ensure they can deliver what they say they can before they make elaborate statements.  This new scheme is expected to increase the City’s recycling and composting rate by up to 10%, but if people are reluctant and confused with the proposals, we will not achieve what is proposed. 

Current figures show that the CityÂ’s combined recycling rate is presently around 33% and with the new food waste collections in place, should put the Council on target to meet the Welsh Assembly GovernmentÂ’s target of 40% by 2010. If the targets are not met then the Council will be heavily fined for each tonne which goes to landfill, so it is in everyoneÂ’s best interests to meet the target.

My next ward surgery and Coffee Morning will be held on Saturday 15^th November between 10.30am – 12 Noon at The Wendy Hut, Lon Ucha, Rhiwbina. 

My contact details are telephone 029 2062 7757, fax 029 2087 7005, mobile 079 7001 3332, E-Mail jcowan@cardiff.gov.uk or log on to www.rhiwbinaward.com