Concerns about Chesterfield's new blue-bin system

Many local residents are very unhappy with Chesterfield's new blue 'recycling bin' system. The main complaints seem to be that the black insert for paper and card is just not big enough, and because the bins are of poor quality the lid blows open in high winds - so that the paper and card is blown all over.

Chesterfield's Liberal Democrat Council Group is now urging the Labour Council to sort the problems as speedily as possible before resudents are put off recycling altogether - even if that means some re-negotiation of the current contract. The former Liberal Democrat Chesterfield Borough Council ( 2003-11 ) had specified that it would like plastic to be collected from the kerbside in the new waste collection contract, as many residents wanted that. They put this out to tender before leaving office in May 2011. However the tenders weren't considered and the contract agreed by the new Labour Administration, until July 2011, some months after they took office. The new 'blue-bin contract' was not actually signed by them until December 2011, by which time residents were making their concerns known.

Ian Openshaw ( former CBC Lead Member for Environment 2003-11 ) commented 'Unfortunately Labour clearly didn't give the negotiation of the new contract the full attention necessary and therefore are entirely responsible for the failure to negotiate the details of the contract -which could have allowed for the proper collection of bulky cardboard waste, along with the plastics and paper, now that cardboard can no longer be put in the green bin. They now need to put things right urgently"