‘Service not fit for use’ as Newquay residents furious over new fortnightly rubbish collection

Residents claim that just months into the new waste collection plan, their city is seeing massive tip queues, non-existent rubbish collections and dozens of discarded rubbish bags. Newquay readers have had their say in our comments section below.

This comes just after Newquay was among the last places in Cornwall to be subject to a new fortnight’s rubbish collection. A local resident shot video footage of dozens of vehicles waiting to enter the dump, showing how traffic lights from a neighboring development are adding to the chaos. Residents complain about it queues on the busy road are not only annoying but also dangerous.

Users say another reason for the huge queues at the tip is that tip workers insist on opening black bags to check they are recycled and to make sure people are following the new regulations. Others blamed waiting times on the one-in-one-out system.

Read on: Visitor describes ‘ghost town’ visit to Cornwall’s coastal site

Read on: A person plunges 150 feet down the cliff

Locals are worried that the new rules and problems with bins not being collected since two weeks will lead to a huge increase in the number of people littering. Those who have resorted to fly-tipping have come under intense fire from locals who claim fly-tippers are both too lazy to wait in lines or recycle properly.

Cornwall Council says the scheme is working well and the amount of recycled waste collected in the area has increased by 15%.

Loladog is unhappy: “On a bad day, the queue goes right back to the school, wreaking havoc on vehicles just wanting to get past the top. As Newquay expands with more homes and residents, what are the council and SITA doing? Reduce opening hours. You couldn’t make it up.”

Kernowjay76 wants things back to the same: “Recycling should start at the producer, why it has to impact the consumer is beyond comprehension. This new CC scheme is all about improving recycling figures, so why not just do weekly recycling and keep everything as it was? The whole food waste thing is ridiculous because I don’t waste any food… I can’t afford it!!”

Archie2021 writes: “My understanding is that Cornwall Council has committed to improving emissions and reducing our carbon footprint by 2030, but due to people having to drive to the peak more often, we are now increasing our footprint of carbon. We are also using the roads more, increasing potholes again. We are also seeing more trash/waste thrown where it shouldn’t be. We’re also seeing an increase in traffic now because we’ve been forced to drive to the top.”

⚠️ Want the latest breaking Cornwall news and top stories first? Click here to join CornwallLive on WhatsApp and we’ll send you breaking news and top stories straight to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out anytime you want. If you are curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Olliewilks is pleased with the scheme: “Many other parts of the country have had fortnightly waste collection for several years (including where I live) and it works well. The whole idea is for everyone to recycle more and not just throw everything in the general waste.”

Rrtt agrees: “I think it’s disgusting that there is no excuse for fly casting. And I see no problem with collecting twice. If everyone recycled properly, there would be no problem. My family can do it, so why can’t anyone else?”

Lighthouse80 writes: “I live in Newquay and our collections have been fine, no complaints at all. I’m not sure of the size of the family that had three black bags in a fortnight, it must have been very full if the bin didn’t close. Question. be asked if they recycle all they can?”

What do you think of the fortnightly garbage collection? Tell us what you think in our comments section