Inequalities over brown bin provision

This week the ‘MAIL’ was contacted by a Craigavon man who is crying out for a brown bin. Meanwhile a local councillor is celebrating, having secured brown bins for Lime Grove and Queen Street.

Mr McEwan from Drumbeg South told the ‘MAIL’: “We were given two small bins for kitchen waste but nobody ever puts them out.

“What I really need is a brown bin. Two thirds of my waste is grass cuttings. I’ve put as much as I can in the compost bin but it’s full.

“I have a big garden and an awful lot of the waste is going in the regular bin.

“Surely this isn’t good practice for a council promoting recycling.”

Councillor Carla Lockhart has said she is delighted at the progress being made in the distribution of brown bins across the borough.

The councillor says she is an advocate of having brown bins awarded to all residents of the borough and that she will continue the fight until everyone who wants a brown bin gets a brown bin.

She said: “I am delighted that brown bins have been awarded to the residents of Lime Grove and will in the very near future be awarded to the Queens Street area also.

“Residents are delighted with their new brown bins and I would like to thank council officials for working with me to deliver on this service for the residents.

“Many of the residents living in Lime Grove and the Queen Street area were extremely annoyed that they had never been considered for brown bins given that most have gardens and are in need of some method of disposing their garden waste.

“I would encourage all who have received the brown bin to use it and help Craigavon Borough Council reach its recycling targets.”

A spokesperson for Craigavon Borough Council said: “Following a recent survey of 5,571 rural properties, 1,888 households responded as requiring a brown bin and these will be delivered following a review of the brown bin routes.

“A further 1,300 houses are due to be surveyed to ask if they would prefer a brown bin or kitchen caddy.

“The Drumbeg South area currently have 25 litre kitchen caddies to dispose of their garden and food waste but the need for a brown bin may be reviewed in the future.

“The council and local residents take their recycling responsibilities very seriously and we are delighted that together Craigavon has a recycling rate of 43%, which we expect to rise accordingly.”