'The smell was repulsive in the summer' - 13 things you said about moves to bring back weekly bin collections in Sunderland

A return to weekly bin collections looks like it could become a reality for thousands of households in Sunderland.
The prospect of a return to weekly bin collections in Sunderland has been broadly welcomed.The prospect of a return to weekly bin collections in Sunderland has been broadly welcomed.
The prospect of a return to weekly bin collections in Sunderland has been broadly welcomed.

Environment Secretary announced at the weekend that councils could be given more funding for weekly food waste collections and free bins for green waste.

Most local authorities now collect recycleable and non-recycleable household waste on alternate weeks, while many charge to take away garden waste.

The prospect of a return to weekly bin collections in Sunderland has been broadly welcomed.The prospect of a return to weekly bin collections in Sunderland has been broadly welcomed.
The prospect of a return to weekly bin collections in Sunderland has been broadly welcomed.
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Sunderland Council leader Coun Graeme Miller has said he would support the return of weekly collections, subject to the funding being provided.

The issue attracted hundreds of comments on the Sunderland Echo Facebook page, with some mixed views. Here's a selection:

Chloe Smallwood: "I found that when the fortnightly collection came in I became more aware of what I could recycle. I now find my blue bin gets quite full, and as for food waste, nowt goes to waste in my house."

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Georgia Jamieson: "I’d rather keep fortnightly collections but have the council introduce a separate food waste bin - this could go towards composting rather than landfill."

Nadia George: "To be honest we are a family of five and fortnightly is fine. We recycle loads now. I moaned at first, but once you get used to it it’s fine. Rather my recycle bin be weekly now!"

Dianne Pattison: "Blue bin weekly would be ideal. We have more recycling than anything. It would encourage more recycling, and also may help to knock the tippers on the head."

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Sheila Nevison: "Reduce the cost of large item collections, maybe then there wouldn't be old sofas etc put into back lanes."

George Connor: "Force manufacturers to use less packaging - most of it is absolutely ridiculous."

Christopher Welsh: "Fortnightly is probably acceptable in winter months, but you simply can’t have two-week-old food waste hanging about in the summer!"

Moira Haig-Samater: "The smell was repulsive over the summer. Two-week-old food in stifling hot weather. Smells like the tip."

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Jeanette Savage: "At last. Shouldn’t have been stopped in first place and the council wonder why there’s loads of dumping going on."

Annmaria Johnson: "Would ease the rat problem that's escalated since they introduced the fortnightly collections."

Elaine Kneale: "I wasn't overly keen on fortnightly collections initially, but it's working fine for us. I would like a food waste bin introduced, and to not have to pay a yearly fee for brown bin collections."

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Chris Melville: "My recycle bin has always been heaving, even before it went to fortnightly collections. I'm sick to death of having to fill my boot with rubbish bags at least once a fortnight and sit in ridiculous queues to get in a tip that isn't set up for the amount of foot fall that it now receives. The food waste in my bin stinks and attracts cats and rodents."

Not everyone thinks the council needs to go back to weekly collections, however.

Andy Przybyla said: "Not needed. I'd rather see the money put into more essential services, pot holes, education, facilities - I manage fine on the current collections."