Newspaper bin campaign rubbished

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Wheelie bins have given a big boost to recycling and cut the amount of rubbish sent to landfill sites, the Local Government Association has said.

The body is hitting back after the Daily Mail newspaper began a campaign to scrap them, claiming they encourage vermin and make streets look ugly.

The LGA says a survey of councils shows that recycling rates have risen by up to 42% since the bins were introduced.

More recycling "is a great way of keeping council tax down," it adds.

By Thursday night, the Daily Mail's online poll showed that 45% of people were in favour of scrapping wheelie bins, but 55% wanted to keep them.

Biodegradable bags

The paper says that with some households now using up to three bins for different types of waste they are all but taking over some streets.

Its leader column on Thursday said it was campaigning "for the right of freeborn Britons who don't want a wheelie bin to refuse one without penalty".

Instead, households should have the option to use ordinary dustbins or biodegradable plastic bags instead, it argued.

All the evidence shows that most people like their wheelie bins Richard Kemp, deputy chairman of the LGA

But now the LGA has hit back, carrying out a snapshot survey of 30 councils, all of whom reported a rise in recycling since the introduction of kerbside bins.

Mansfield, in Nottinghamshire, and Rochford, in Essex, both reported a rise of 34%. Mole Valley, in Surrey, saw rates jump 42%, from 19% to 60%.

The Mail is arguing that wheelie bins are being forced on areas where they are unsuitable - for example, where there is not enough space to store them properly.

But the LGA insists councils are running "the type of bin collection that is best for people in their area".

Deputy chairman Richard Kemp aid: "There is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to bin collections.

"Councils realise they need to be flexible when and operate different types of bin collection that work for local people."

The LGA says landfill tax adds £30 to council tax bills every year, so recycling more helps to keep those costs down.

"All the evidence shows that most people like their wheelie bins and think that they make it easier and cleaner to throw out the rubbish," Mr Kemp said.

"Residents have to store their rubbish somewhere without it smelling, attracting vermin and potentially getting strewn across the street."