Stirling residents are being asked what they think of the council’s controversial bin collection system as part of a review of the authority’s waste services.
A survey launched by the council in recent few days asks locals a series of questions on their views of the service and how they use it and how the council could help them reduce their waste and increase recycling.
In September 2021 the service moved from two-weekly collections to four-weekly collections and say that household waste collected in grey bins, disposed of in landfill, has reduced from 14427 tonnes between January 2021 – August 2021 to 12876 tonnes between January 2022 – August 2022.
However, the council says more needs to be done given that, from January 2026, there will be a national ban on any biodegradable waste (general waste from grey bins) being disposed of in landfill.
The four-weekly collections sparked widespread criticism when they were introduced by the then SNP/Labour administration at the council.
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A Labour minority administration is now in charge at the council, voted in with the support of the Conservative councillors.
Stirling’s Conservative councillors campaigned to have the move from fortnightly to four-weekly grey and blue bin collections stopped from the outset, making it a focus issue at the local authority elections earlier this year and claiming that the other other council in Scotland to operate four-weekly collections, Falkirk, had seen their recycling rates fall and fly-tipping reports increase.
Despite an initial 6,000-signature petition and a further petition of around 4,000 names, special votes being called and an unsuccessful motion of no confidence lodged in the then administration, the changes were introduced in September 2021.
This week the Tories came under fire from the council’s SNP group, now in opposition, accusing them of scrapping their manifesto commitment to restore the two-weekly bin collection and doing a “backroom deal” with Labour.
SNP group leader Councillor Scott Farmer said: “The Tories have taken their voters for fools recently, and nowhere is that more apparent than their undeliverable promises on waste.
“We said very clearly at the time that returning to two-weekly collection would put severe strain on council budgets, increase landfill costs and our climate emissions, and blunt progress towards climate change targets.
“Labour know this is an exercise in futility, and yet they’ve followed the beat of the Tory drum.”
Councillor Gerry McLaughlan, Stirling SNP council group finance spokesperson, added: “The Tories dropped their core election commitment in order to partner up with Labour, and their voters and supporters will feel badly let
down.
“The current system overall is working well – the waste review will eat up valuable time and energy that should be used to help struggling households and businesses with the cost-of-living crisis.”
However, Conservative group leader Councillor Neil Benny said: “Unlike the SNP, Scottish Conservative councillors will always focus on council services and making sure the people of Stirling get value for money.
“The SNP want people to forget it was them who forced monthly collections through without any consultation and chose to charge people for garden waste rather than tackle Stirling having the most expensive bin collections in the country.
“We have ensured residents finally got their say and that this vital service is finally reviewed.
“Getting your bins collected should cost the council a lot less and provide taxpayers with a better service.
“The complacency and arrogance of Stirling’s SNP is only matched by their colleagues at Holyrood.”
In April this year the Tories highlighted figures showing it cost £137.56 per property to collect household waste in 2020/21 in the Stirling Council area, while the average cost across all 32 councils is nearly half that at £72.35.
The waste services review survey will be open to Stirling residents until Monday November 28. The survey is anonymous and the council says results will be considered as part of the review to help inform how it delivers the service.
The survey can be found here.
