A review into the roll-out of new recycling bags across Lichfield and Burntwood must be open and transparent, a Labour councillor has said.
The new joint waste collection service sees households separate out card and paper from the rest of their recycling.
But the scheme has been criticised after it emerged that a number of the bags issued to residents were a third smaller than they should have been.
Cllr Liz Little, cabinet member for the joint waste service, said a review would look at the roll-out and operation of the new collection system.
But Cllr Steve Norman, leader of the Labour opposition group at Lichfield District Council, said people needed answers sooner rather than later.
“The announcement by the new cabinet member responsible for recycling and waste, Cllr Liz Little, that she is going to carry out a review of the new recycling scheme doesn’t address the issues residents have had.
“The big issue is the size of the bags that appear to be anywhere from 54 litres in size upwards. I don’t know anyone who has got an 80 litre one – the size Lichfield District Council specified – for us and four other councils including Tamworth who share the waste contract with us.”
Cllr Steve Norman, Lichfield District Council
Cllr Little replaced Cllr Ashley Yeates as the cabinet responsible after the issues with the bags first emerged.
She said the review would help understand where improvements could be made.
“We know that there have been some teething problems with the roll out of the service, but we also know that the same system has been successfully adopted in other councils across the UK.
“I want to understand why we experienced problems and what, if anything, we should, or can, do to make improvements.
“The rollout of the new service completed last Friday, and we can now access collection data to give us performance information to inform the review.”
Cllr Liz Little, Lichfield District Council
But Cllr Norman said communications over the issues with the recycling system had still not been good enough.
“Cllr Little refers to ‘teething problems’ but doesn’t mention the lack of news releases from the council to help inform residents of what was happening.
“Before yesterday’s announcement, the only one on the council’s website is dated 29th April – and denied by the council anyway!
“She needs to report to either the Task Group that looked at the communication plan that was being proposed for the new scheme of the full scrutiny committee on the 14th of July – or both.
“I don’t think councillors or residents will be content until there is open and transparent scrutiny of what went wrong.”
Cllr Steve Norman, Lichfield District Council
