Lib Dems solve the mystery of Shropshire’s missing street bins
MISSING BINS
Residents in Shropshire have complained that street bins have disappeared from various locations around the county in recent years.
Councillor David Vasmer, the Liberal Democrat cabinet member now responsible for Highways and Waste, started to look into the mystery and has now figured out what happened to the missing bins.
It turns out that Conservative bosses, who ran the council until May last year, instructed council staff not to replace old or damaged street bins.
Councillor Vasmer commented:
“Under the Conservatives, the council was just handing over money to contractors with no idea of how many bins Shropshire Council were responsible for, where they were or how often they were being emptied.
“It was only when I was discussing the new digital monitoring system with council officers that I discovered their Conservative bosses had instructed them not to replace old or damaged bins, without telling anyone, which explains why they seemed to be disappearing.”
The policy of not replacing these bins has been reversed by the current Liberal Democrat administration. They are setting up a budget to replace old bins with new ones which are currently on order.
OVERFLOWING BINS
The Lib Dems are also taking action to deal with the current problem of overflowing public bins affecting some parts of the county. It’s been caused by a number factors, including logistical problems at the contractors, delays in introducing a more efficient vehicle and highly inefficient routes being used by collection teams.
Councillor Vasmer said:
“I’m very concerned about the problem with overflowing bins that we’re currently facing in some areas and I’m determined to fix this. A number of improvements are being introduced that should allow collections to be doubled at locations that need them. This should make a big difference.”
Improvements being introduced include:
- A new digital monitoring system;
- Much more efficient collection rounds;
- The use of a new side-loader vehicle;
- The introduction of solar smart-bins.
A NEW DIGITAL MONITORING SYSTEM
The council has been drawing up a comprehensive list of all public bins as part of a new digital monitoring system. The system monitors exactly which bins have been emptied and when.
The new system also uses computers to work out the most efficient routes for crews to use when emptying bins. This will result in far more collections during a given time period, without costing more.
At the same time, crews will collect information about the condition of Shropshire’s public bins so that the council can organise a planned programme of replacements – meaning no more missing bins.
SOLAR SMART-BINS
The council is also purchasing 20 new solar smart-bins for laybys and remote areas. These are mechanical bins that crush and compact rubbish, allowing 5-8 times more litter to be deposited than traditional street bins. As the name suggests, they are powered entirely by solar energy.
The solar smart-bins also feature fill-level sensors with wireless tracking data that lets staff know when they are 75% full.
These solar smart-bins will have two major benefits. Firstly, they will prevent overflowing bins at locations like laybys that fill up quickly, thanks to their higher capacities and their fill-level sensors. Secondly, they will reduce the number of unnecessary visits to remote rural bins that don’t need emptying so often, giving crews time to empty more of the regurlar street bins that do fill up quickly.
SIDE-LOADER VEHICLE
The council’s contractor has recently taken delivery of a side-loader vehicle. This will allow quicker emptying of larger bins, which in turn will give crews more time to empty more street bins during the same round.
Councillor Vasmer said:
“The improvements the Lib Dems are introducing will mean the council can double collection frequencies at over 900 public bins, helping to ensure bins are emptied before they start overflowing. We’ll end up with a much better service that costs less money.”
PHOTO: Councillor David Vasmer