Reducing The Rubbish We Bury

"Threat to weekly bin collections", reports the East Lothian Courier.

Susan Guy of Sustaining Dunbar is quite right when she says it could be good if proper recycling systems are put in place. Even better would be a crackdown on manufacturers and supermarkets who sell over-packaged goods smothered in non-recyclable materials.

Research by the Scottish Greens shows East Lothian Council’s landfill tax bill has risen by half a million pounds in the last five years to £1.5million, and is set to rise further. It is therefore essential not just for the environment but for the public purse that we dramatically reduce the rubbish we bury.

As for Paul McLennan’s comment that people would prefer to see their bins collected every week than have free special uplifts, is it acceptable to penalise people who are unable to transport bulky items to a recycling depot?

Of course Dunbar will soon have the pleasure of hosting a Viridor incinerator accepting waste from across Scotland thanks to a feeble council and a Scottish Government content to pass the buck.

We recently wrote to the Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse, a South Scotland MSP who is supposed to represent East Lothian, asking how the interests of communities such as Dunbar are to be protected. He delegated his response to the planning appeals department who simply told us:

"It is the responsibility of the planning authority, East Lothian Council, to ensure that the terms of the reporter’s decision notice are adhered to."

How reassuring!