As a proud local resident and recipient of two national environmental awards, I am saddened and disappointed at the Conservative-led council, at what I feel is a backwards step.

The decision to reduce weekly recycling collections from weekly to alternate fortnightly is clearly a cost-cutting exercise.

I appreciate that the newspaper and cardboard wheelie bins will keep these recyclables dry due to the lid.

But what will happen when glass, cans and especially plastic are overfilling our green boxes, before the collection is due?

Will residents simply default to putting these into their landfill bin due to ease and storage?

As a family, we have been very proactive in reducing our waste to landfill to less than one bag a week.

But I have noticed how plastic packaging is increasing.

I have always pre-sorted our recycling into our two boxes, out of consideration for the collection guys.

Trying to keep two weeks of recycling neat and tidy will become increasingly difficult.

As stated by the council leader, Kingston wants to be a flagship across the country.

But will this flagship only be considered with opportunities for economic growth?

Overdevelopment seems to be a priority with ever increasing skyward developments being pushed through.

Concern for the environment seems to be falling down the council’s agenda.

The Tolworth Greenway trees, which have now been dead since last June, are a sad symbol of a borough that is rapidly turning into a concrete jungle.

My personal opinion of the council’s new costcutting recycling regime is that it should be buried in the nearest landfill.

SIMON JAKEMAN Hook

 


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