Fury after Cornish Council refuses to collect residents’ bin bags for ‘weeks’ because they have ‘wrong colored handles’

• Locals say the waste was not collected because the bags had black handles instead of white
• A large number of people say they haven’t received the new white handle bags

Angry residents in Cornwall have hit out at their council for refusing to collect bin bags for “weeks” because they have the “wrong color handle”.

People living in the south-west tip of England have been left “confused” and “furious” after being told their old black-handled seagull bags will no longer be collected by the council.

Instead, litter crews are understood to be just picking up rubbish stored in the new white handle bags, which local authorities have introduced as part of a new scheme to “encourage everyone to reduce their waste”.

However, a large number of people say they have not received the new bags, meaning they have had to continue using the black handle bags for their waste.

But local authorities are now refusing to take the former bags and leaving them on the street for “weeks” – forcing one household to take their rubbish to a waste site 34 miles away.

Many condemned Cornwall Council for wasting money and resources – citing the irony that the scheme should mandate recycling when it “only causes more waste”.

But the council claimed the new “standardised” service will be very effective when fully operational in all parts of the county.

Resident Julie Elworthy, 61, described the saga as “an absolute nightmare” and a “waste of taxpayers’ money”.

She said: “It took 12 phone calls, nine emails, a conversation with the county councillor, calls to Biffa and direct complaints.

“There was no accountability – the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.

“But last Wednesday was the last straw – I had to take our rubbish up to the top of Saltash, 34 miles away, it was very time consuming but I couldn’t leave all the rubbish at the bottom of the lane.”

It was only when Julie threatened not to pay her council tax – for the first time in 42 years – that a bin was delivered to her door the day after her warning.

She added: “The council has breached what we pay for – by paying council tax we have paid for a service they have not provided.”

Julie, who has lived in Millbrook Village all her life, spoke of the dire environmental consequences of the council’s actions, arguing: “People have their own bins! It’s almost green.

– Where will the bags go now? It’s crazy and such a waste. It’s ridiculous.

“We’re all interested in saving the planet, but I feel so sorry for the families whose waste hasn’t been collected for weeks – the nappies are piling up.

“It’s all just more plastic going to landfill – the council is far away.

“This ‘service’ has been in place for three years and they still haven’t got it right – it’s certainly not a cost-saving or environmental exercise.”

Before the new system was introduced, residents who couldn’t use a normal black bin for space reasons bought black-handled seagull bags from the council.

Due to the new standardized collection scheme, local residents have been asked to put their old black bags with black handles into the bags with white handles for collection and disposal.

Many residents say they haven’t even received new bins or bags, so they put their trash on collection day in everyday bags like they used to, which aren’t collected.

Julie says they were informed of the change to the recycling scheme through door leaflets and newsletters through the parish council last November – and were supposed to have bins in April but were only delivered last week.

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Cornwall residents have taken to social media to voice their views and questions about the change – with one calling the scheme a ‘disaster’, another describing it as a ‘WASTE of taxpayers’ money’.

Someone has written that they have lost confidence in the council and are asking for their council tax to be refunded.

They added: “We don’t get a rubbish collection, or bus service, we don’t have children and we don’t need social care.

“We very rarely see a policeman.” We don’t trust Cornwall Council or our MP either. Can we get a refund of our council tax please?

Another said: “I’ve been turned down multiple times for an extra bin or bag and you guys have refused to take my rubbish. Which will eventually become a pile. And finally and hopefully it won’t attract rodents.

“I have been driven from pillar to post as no one can be bothered to help me.”

Another said: “My current bin is 31 years old and shows no signs of breaking in anytime soon! What an absolute waste to stop using it and waste energy replacing it for no other reason than the color.

Responding to criticism, Cornwall Council says the new recycling and waste scheme aims to “encourage everyone to reduce their waste to increase their recycling”.

As part of the service, the council asks residents to limit the amount of rubbish they can throw away to what can fit in the new bin or protective bag every two nights.

A council spokesman said: “For our collection crews to enforce the new litter restriction rule, they need to be able to clearly see that only the new gray bins or white handle bags we have issued are being used to take out the garbage and that any additional garbage containers that the residents may have are not yet taken out for collection.

“We encourage anyone who has an existing bag to reuse it or alternatively we can collect residents’ old bags once the new rubbish collection starts if they book it at www.cornwall.gov.uk/bindelivery once the service opens for their area. .’