Spotted this at the Adam Smith Institute blog:

The future of rubbish:

So I was pleased to learn of a new, private collection service called Bin & Gone in Yorkshire, which apparently charges £90 a year to ensure householders get a weekly collection, and has bought its own refuse truck to do so. Meanwhile a friend in Hampshire tells me that a body in Romsey also plans a private alternative to the local authority's service (or lack of it), and are putting out flyers to gauge the market. The service "will be provided at minimal cost and include the supply of free dustbin and peddle bin liners as well as a free bin washing service" - rather better than the council's grudging effort.

Of course, a number of local authorities already contract out their refuse collection to private companies. But under this system, householders pay directly for the service they choose, rather than pay for a service they have no choice about, through local taxes. The new trend might be modest at present: but it does show that one of the local authorities' key services can in fact be done better, and more satisfactorily for customers, by private enterprise. Makes you wonder what we pay Council Tax for.

Keep up! There was a discussion about this way back in August last year after an IPPR report on rubbish. I blogged about it and it even got picked up by the Guardian.

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