Letters: Some research from NFDC would have bin good

I grew up in Sway as a teenager (a regular Lymington Times reader) then left the region, but my parents stayed and moved elsewhere just outside Lymington some years ago. I frequently visit from Guildford where I have lived for 22 years. I have been very disappointed by NFDC which is at least 10 years behind Guildford in recycling and bin collection. We have had food waste collected for over a decade and put glass jars and bottles in our recycling bins as well as everything soft plastic and metal, paper and card, including wrapping paper and shredded paper and also clean tin foil.

I was pleased to see NFDC introduce food waste collections but was disappointed to see the same style of food waste bins as Guildford. It came as no surprise to see your front page article with donkeys getting into the bins and you will find most animals will take an interest and probably breach the containers. We found years ago Surrey foxes had figured out how to knock the food bins on their side then pull the lever to open the locking food bin, and eat, then scatter. Our bins are identical to yours so you will find the same in the Forest and thus food scattered everywhere weekly wherever the foxes target, once they have fathomed it out.

This is all the more worrying for me and my mother, whose for food waste bin has NOT been collected yet since the start of the new collections two and a half weeks ago. After persistent calls to NFDC including the obnoxious long waiting times in the queues on the phone, we were persistently told they will empty the bin by a certain day, but they never have yet. They also failed to empty the recycling on day one despite reassurances she had an assisted collection.

Also, now it seems there are two lorries collecting every week. How can that possibly be a cost-saving? It means twice as many vehicles getting in the way on the beautiful narrow Forest country lanes, plus twice the impact on the environment, unless they are electric vehicles.

If NFDC had bother or cared, they would have researched the food bins’ resistance to New Forest animals and chosen a more complex bin closure. If they cared, they would have made damned sure they collect my mother's food bin when they said they would.

Jonathan Murray

Guildford