Three or four-weekly collections
Almost half of respondents (49%) said they would not be willing to have their non-recyclable (general) waste bin collected every three weeks if Angus Council provided the appropriate number and size of recycling and non-recyclable (general) waste bins. Forty seven percent agreed they would be willing, and 4% neither agreed nor disagreed. This means that just over half of respondents did not disagree with having their non-recyclable waste bin emptied every three weeks.
Of those respondents who were willing to have their non-recyclable waste bin emptied on a three-weekly basis, 44% agreed they would be willing to have this bin emptied every four weeks (provided that ‘hygiene collections’ for nappies are provided), and 48% disagreed with four weekly collections. Overall, this equates to 22% of the total respondents being willing to have four weekly collections of non-recyclable waste.
There was no significant difference in response by property type, except for those living in terraced houses where 64% of residents did not agree to three weekly collections. Those aged 25-34 were most likely to disagree with three weekly collections (62%) and those aged 55 or older were least likely to disagree (42%). Chart 3 shows there was a correlation between the number of household members and willingness to have the non-recyclable waste bin emptied every three weeks – households with one member were most willing and those with 7+ least willing to do so. Sixty-six percent of households with five members disagreed with three weekly collections compared to 40% of those in single person households.
Chart 3 - Households disagreeing with three-weekly non-recyclable waste collections
Recyclables in non-recyclable (general) waste bin
Knowing that too much recycling is being put in the purple non-recyclable (general) waste bin, and that this costs the council huge sums of money, over half of respondents (51%) agreed that purple bins should be tagged and left uncollected if they contain too many recyclable items, as per recycling bins that have too many non-recyclable items.
This was based on an awareness raising campaign being carried out and understanding that food waste makes up around a third of the contents of non-recyclable (general) waste bins, and that 18% of purple bin contents could be recycled in the grey bin.
Seven percent of residents neither agreed nor disagreed with tagging purple bins, and 42% disagreed with tagging. Of those that disagreed with tagging, there was no significant difference in response dependent on age or property type except for residents in terraced housing who were most likely to object to tagging (59%), and those aged over 65 who were least likely to object to tagging (37%).
Chart 4 shows there was a broad correlation between the number of residents in a property and agreement for non-recyclable waste bins with too many recyclables in them to be tagged; households with seven members were least likely to agree however households with six members were most likely to agree (followed closely by single-person households).
Chart 4 - Households that disagree with tagging non-recyclable waste bins containing too many recyclables
Next: Survey questions