Food and garden waste bins will not be collected for a month
(Picture: Getty Images)Residents in north-east London have reacted with fury after a council announced it would be suspending food and garden waste collections for a month during some of the hottest weather of the year.
Waltham Forest Council announced on Twitter on Wednesday that it was suspending all brown bin collections – which are used for food and garden waste – from 15 August until 12 September.
The council said the decision was taken so that it can “focus on other services” and reduce unnecessary journeys for bin lorries in a bid to improve air quality, with the dry weather leading to a reduction in the amount of garden waste collected in recent weeks.
This stinks. Literally.
— Tom Haslam (@T_Haslam) August 11, 2022
I already have food and garden waste in my brown bin, and am being told it won't be collected until 16th September!
You needed to give us two weeks notice so that we could change our behaviours before it became a problem.
But furious residents have taken to Twitter to vent their frustration about the decision, with some warning that high temperatures will leave food waste “rotting” and that it will attract pests.
Several users have questioned why they were not given advanced warning of the decision, with many saying they have already filled their bins having expected them to be collected as usual.
This doesn’t make sense. Brown bins are for garden waste AND food waste. We’re supposed to let our food waste fester for a month?
— cash donatiANNs (@annkempster) August 10, 2022
Maggots and foxes ahoy. Can’t wait. https://t.co/GtOGyIbDmY
Emma Best, leader of Waltham Forest Council’s Conservative group and member of the London Assembly, has said the decision is “completely ridiculous” as bins are “already full of festering food”.
Ms Best said: “Waltham Forest Labour have managed to be regulars in Private Eye’s rotten boroughs list, but this decision will bring a whole new literal meaning to that title. They must reverse this decision now.”
Freeze council tax until you resume vital services in the middle of a heatwave. https://t.co/8kfGeJ2XfW
— Has Ahmed (@HasAhmed_) August 11, 2022
In a tweet shared by Ms Best, former Conservative council hopeful Has Ahmed said that Waltham Forest Council should “freeze council tax” until “vital services” could be resumed.
The council said: “The UK has had its driest July since 1885, with rainfall down by 35 per cent over the last six months. This means that grass and garden plants have been growing more slowly this summer than expected.
“This has significantly reduced the amount of garden waste being left out by residents to be collected by the Council in recent weeks.
“This temporary measure will help the Council focus on other services over the summer and help reduce unnecessary journeys for our collection vehicles, helping improve air quality and cutting our carbon emissions.”
