Islanders already recycle because it’s the ‘right thing to do’, but taking away our rubbish collections is a disgrace

To whom it may concern,

I am a hard-working, tax-paying, socially responsible, local adult and as such am used to being preyed upon by the States of Guernsey, but this new ‘initiative’ of waste collection/processing is a step too far.

I find the words ‘this is not a new tax’ written in the information leaflet offensive. Of course it is. To pretend this is about being socially responsible or changing for the better is completely disingenuous. The vast majority of Guernsey residents, like me, recycle both at home and at the recycling points island wide. To punish the good natured and responsible people of our island, by taking away rubbish collections is a disgrace.

The bins given out to residents for ‘food waste’ made me wonder if this was in fact a practical joke by the States. How a family of four+ or even a single person is expected to go one week using just this tiny bin is beyond me? We are expected to live with the foul smells that will occur, as food decays inside our houses. And what about families with young children? They have to live alongside two weeks’ worth of used nappies?

And what’s it all for if it’s ‘not a new tax’? Is it so Deputy Brehaut, and whoever else voted for this nonsense, can feel like they are making a difference? Guernsey already is incredibly green and everyone island wide recycles, but let’s put all that in perspective. Guernsey has a population of 65,000. China has a population of 1.4 billion and their idea of waste management is throwing everything in the sea and leaving it there, so while you think you are changing the world by putting your cardboard in the clear bag, in reality you’re not. That being said, myself and the vast majority of islanders do it anyway, because it is the right thing to do and is something socially responsible people do.

It’s bad news for ‘bin men’ who will see their shifts and hours drop as they go from collection around the island most nights, to once a week or less.

It’s bad news for local food stores, as people will stop buying anything that comes in any packaging (packaging necessary for hygiene). Nobody wins from this, everyone loses. Remarkably, council tax does not decrease, in fact an £85 charge to the States is mandatory alongside a £2.50 charge for any black bag, hard-working, tax-paying people have to get rid of. It is outright robbery. If, rather than looking for ways to exploit the people they are supposed to serve and attempting to justify their salaries they instead look at themselves, Guernsey

would be a better place to live. Do we need 40 deputies and representatives? Not a chance, it is an old ‘members club’ that sits with the intention of justifying its existence rather considering how it can best serve our island.

Equally, we do not need the ridiculous number of police we have in Guernsey. We are lucky to live in a place with very low crime and rather than preparing for the next world war with bomb disposal vehicles or tasking the force with going out and trying to write as many traffic, speeding, or VDRS tickets, as they can cram into a shift (to again try and somewhat justify their existence) it would be far better to just employ a sensible number of police officers and the equipment needed to police our island.

The only sensible ideas put forward in recent memory for making money for Guernsey was paid parking and vehicle width tax. Pretty much every city in the world has to pay for parking in the city centre (usually a lot). If they don’t want to pay the fee, they can take public transport, reducing traffic and making money for the government. And if people decide they are too lazy, fat, snobbish to take public transport to the centre, they can pay a sensible amount for the privilege and people would soon realise paid parking is not the end of the world.

DANIEL QUINN, 29,

local resident.

Editor’s footnote: Richard Evans, deputy managing director of States Trading Assets, replies:

I am happy to address the points your correspondent has made regarding waste, but I will try and do so briefly. Household waste charges will only be used to deliver household waste services – nothing more. The combination of the fixed charge and ‘pay as you throw’ elements will replace the current system, where waste bills are based solely on the size of a household’s property. In that sense it is not a new tax, it is a different way of paying for these services, albeit one where the amount we each pay will reflect the amount of waste we each produce. That said, there is little point arguing whether it constitutes a tax or not.

We understand the real issue is costs are going up, and we are aware how sensitive that is. I am sorry if your correspondent is genuinely offended by something we produced, but the reality is we need a modern, more sustainable method of dealing with our waste, and unfortunately that is going to cost us all more. The bins provided for food waste are standard, and already used by millions of households elsewhere. If there are any large families for which they are too small, we can provide them with another but we would first encourage them to look at their food waste and consider how they can reduce it. All food that goes in the bin had to be paid for, so it is quite literally throwing money away.

That doesn’t only apply to large families – we estimate that on average households throw away more than £600 a year of perfectly edible produce. If we are genuinely concerned about the cost of waste, there is an answer there. As for smells, I would just underline that Guernsey is not pioneering any new system here. We are in fact way behind the curve. Households in Europe have had separated food waste collection for decades, and it is very much standard throughout the UK. Other places manage fine. We will manage just as well. With regard to nappies, we provide financial support for any parents who would like to try reusable nappies, which are a viable alternative to the disposable variety. That will reduce their waste enormously, not to mention remove the ‘smelly’ element.

Finally, to address the point about Guernsey being only 65,000, so we are unable to make a difference. Not all the world’s population lives in major cities. Many, perhaps even a majority, live in smaller communities, and there are many medium-sized towns with fewer inhabitants than the island (although I should add that most probably consume less and produce less waste). If we all decide that it is not up to us to make an effort, we are all bound to fail.