the_crusader
I'm a big blob of LARD
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There's a big stink in Penrith (and why it's coming to a rubbish bin near you)
* By Gemma Jones
* From: The Daily Telegraph
* January 28, 2010 12:00AM
SOME say the nappies are the thing. Others hate the smell and the overflowing bins.
Residents in Penrith are furious after their council cut rubbish collections to once a fortnight.
And to make matters worse they have cut the size of their bins at the same time.
Mothers with babies have been forced to store 14 days worth of dirty nappies, while residents have found maggots and some have complained to the local health service.
Families unable to survive are being forced to pay a $50-a-year fee to maintain weekly collections.
Mark Mann's environmental blog: Penrith Council has got it right
Penrith took action after the NSW Department of Environment began supporting the cut from weekly to fortnightly services two years ago in a bid to force more people to recycle.
So far four councils across NSW have reduced collections and others are set to follow.
But a leading public health expert said thousands of residents were at risk of salmonella and gastro.
St Marys mother Rebecca Morgan was forced to pay $50 because her bin had been overflowing with used nappies and maggots.
Despite having a mortgage to pay, she wanted to save her twin daughters Isabella and Scarlett, 1, from being exposed to maggots.
"It's disgusting, there is no way we could live with having the bin emptied fortnightly with double the amount of nappies," Mrs Morgan said. "I am not going to have my girls having that sort of exposure (to maggots) in my house."
A Penrith Council spokeswoman said residents had been asked to wrap food scraps, including meat, in paper and put them in an organics bin, which is still collected weekly.
She claimed the majority of residents were happy with the reduced service and that the waste fee of $245 a year had fallen by 2 per cent.
University of NSW Associate Professor Mary-Louise McLaws, who specialises in infections, said the situation was "disgusting".
"There are bacteria and there are viruses that are pathogenic that could be in the faeces and in food," she said yesterday. "There's not so much of a problem if the waste is taken away rapidly and put in the ground."
If it is hanging around for two weeks and bins are knocked over or flies, which can carry pathogens, get in, you have the potential for infection, Professor McLaws said.
"From a public health perspective it is not just keeping the community free from pathogens it is also keeping a pleasant and safe environment."
Penrith council denied there was a health risk. Environment Minister Frank Sartor was unable to guarantee other councils would not follow suit.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...ish-bin-near-you/story-e6freuy9-1225824131699
* By Gemma Jones
* From: The Daily Telegraph
* January 28, 2010 12:00AM
SOME say the nappies are the thing. Others hate the smell and the overflowing bins.
Residents in Penrith are furious after their council cut rubbish collections to once a fortnight.
And to make matters worse they have cut the size of their bins at the same time.
Mothers with babies have been forced to store 14 days worth of dirty nappies, while residents have found maggots and some have complained to the local health service.
Families unable to survive are being forced to pay a $50-a-year fee to maintain weekly collections.
Mark Mann's environmental blog: Penrith Council has got it right
Penrith took action after the NSW Department of Environment began supporting the cut from weekly to fortnightly services two years ago in a bid to force more people to recycle.
So far four councils across NSW have reduced collections and others are set to follow.
But a leading public health expert said thousands of residents were at risk of salmonella and gastro.
St Marys mother Rebecca Morgan was forced to pay $50 because her bin had been overflowing with used nappies and maggots.
Despite having a mortgage to pay, she wanted to save her twin daughters Isabella and Scarlett, 1, from being exposed to maggots.
"It's disgusting, there is no way we could live with having the bin emptied fortnightly with double the amount of nappies," Mrs Morgan said. "I am not going to have my girls having that sort of exposure (to maggots) in my house."
A Penrith Council spokeswoman said residents had been asked to wrap food scraps, including meat, in paper and put them in an organics bin, which is still collected weekly.
She claimed the majority of residents were happy with the reduced service and that the waste fee of $245 a year had fallen by 2 per cent.
University of NSW Associate Professor Mary-Louise McLaws, who specialises in infections, said the situation was "disgusting".
"There are bacteria and there are viruses that are pathogenic that could be in the faeces and in food," she said yesterday. "There's not so much of a problem if the waste is taken away rapidly and put in the ground."
If it is hanging around for two weeks and bins are knocked over or flies, which can carry pathogens, get in, you have the potential for infection, Professor McLaws said.
"From a public health perspective it is not just keeping the community free from pathogens it is also keeping a pleasant and safe environment."
Penrith council denied there was a health risk. Environment Minister Frank Sartor was unable to guarantee other councils would not follow suit.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...ish-bin-near-you/story-e6freuy9-1225824131699
