Madam,

I read with interest the article headlined ‘Fantastic new project to help reduce plastic waste’, launched by Ceredigion County Council.

Yet at the same time, Ceredigion council seems to be directly contributing to putting plastic and other waste back into the environment!

On Bank Holiday Monday, 6 May, council waste collections failed over apparently large areas of Ceredigion. This is not the first time. Collections here in Llanfarian have failed at least four times in the past six months, (three clear recycling bags, one black bag), and I suspect that this problem is widespread and increasing in our county.

What happens when the council fails to collect waste?

Some residents will do the right thing and take the uncollected bags back in and represent them on the next due date. But many, if not most, uncollected bags are just left lying by the roadside.

For at least a week the seagulls and other animals, together with our strong winds, have the opportunity to do an efficient job of destroying the bags and scattering everything in them back onto our streets and land - eyesores visible to residents and visitors alike!

I would suggest that this failure by the council to provide a reliable waste collection service is a primary cause of the increasingly visible pollution along our roads and streets.

Yes, we all applaud a ‘fantastic’ new project to help reduce plastic waste, but this reduction can only happen if the basics are met - the provision of a regular, reliable waste collection service. This seems both critical and a ‘no-brainer’. Otherwise it’s just one step forward two steps back!

The only really acceptable excuse for non-collection of waste can be extreme weather. Resource issues just does not cut it.

Failure to collect waste on time seems potentially enormously damaging to the environment. Currently the council appears to be in denial.

Complaints are met with bland platitudes, “Apologies for any inconvenience caused” and so on, but with no suggestion of any real efforts being made to address or improve matters.

Ceredigion council needs to take urgent steps to fix this, alongside their ‘fantastic’ new projects!

Yours etc, Glyn Ivens, Lôn Tyllwyd, Llanfarian.

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