WHEN I was recently putting dead flowers from an expired bouquet into my green bin a thought occurred to me. Would my green bin get emptied if I placed similar dead flowers into my green bin but chose not to pay the annual charge?

I posed just this question by telephone to One Trafford. Imagine my surprise when I heard the answer to my question.

The call handler advised me that "As cut flowers aren't garden waste they can be put into the bin. It's just garden leaves we wouldn't take."

I am astonished by the answer. How can the council gauge whether dead cut flowers placed inside the green bin are from one's garden i.e. thereby technically being garden waste, or from a shop or from a florist's bouquet? As dead flowers usually have leaves attached,would the council refuse to take away dead flowers if said leaves remain attached to the stems?

In my opinion this stealth tax following on from the council tax hike has not been properly thought out nor can it be fairly implemented.

During the same telephone call to One Trafford I asked for additional food waste bags. I was told that I should have received "a year's supply a few months ago" and that the refuse collectors no longer carry spares.

I had neither received extra bags nor was aware that the vehicles no longer carried spares, After almost three weeks and a further call made to the council I still await extra bags, having been advised there is a long waiting list for recipients.

In my opinion, Trafford Council's grass roots services are literally in chaos.

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