We normally put out only about half a plastic sack of rubbish a week and one box of re-cyclables a fortnight, so the change would normally make little difference to us. We might even save slightly from using only one plastic sack a fortnight instead of two! However, I suspect we may be in a minority. A nearby house has six full sacks outside this morning, and the dustman (or should I say Waste Products Disposable Executive?) isn't even due until tomorrow.

This is where problems can and will arise. Many people will leave sacks outside for long periods and they will be subject to attacks by various vermin. (In this location, seagulls, which are attractive to city dwellers at a distance but most anti-social to local residents.) We ourselves put our sack inside a dustbin but most do not bother. Also, there are occasions when the dustman comes exceptionally early. Under the proposed system this would mean a month between collections.

I am all in favour of Councils cutting unnecessary costs but I doubt whether this is a suitable economy.

(Incidentally, on signing up for your blog I was surprised to be asked what State I was in "Totally knackered" would be an appropriate reply, but it was not on the list of options!)

I live in Milton Keynes which has had a long history of collecting recyclable materials from the doorstep along with refuse, plus a fortnightly green bin for garden rubbish. Councils are under pressure from government to do more recycling which can only be a good thing, but I wonder why it has taken so long when the Kyoto agreement was signed in 1992 and, in Europe, they have been far more concientious than we have. So, although the thought of fortnightly rubbish collections is not one that pleases me greatly, if it will encourage more recycling then I suppose it is a good thing!
Eve

As a view from a different perspective and a different culture the 'rubbish collection' where I live in a small comune (council) in the Alps in northern Italy is totally different to that back in the UK (thank goodness)!

I am provided with large rolls of black, yellow and blue plastic rubbish sacks. The black are for 'wet rubbish' and are collected every Saturday morning. Blue for paper and cardboard, yellow for plastic - these are collected every other Wednesday. There are also 'glass bottle banks', used 'battery banks' (not car batteries), unused 'pill and medicine banks', and 'used clothes banks' for charity in my small village (as there are in all towns/villages).

My refuse collection bill, including sack supply - I live on my own - is a total of €82 per year (£55.90). It is not part of the annual 'council tax'.

The words penny wise and pound foolish come to mind when considering the pros and cons of two weekly collection of waste from homes. Perhaps a two weekly collection of newspaper, bottles, tins and plastic could be condoned as this recyclable material would provide no health hazard if left for a period of time. This is not the case with other refuse. The smell alone of waste left for just two or three days is horrible and to contemplate fourteen days is just awful. Perhaps the cost of one collection a fornight is less in cash but the cost in hygiene is beyond thought.