Waste management has been a hot topic in Hertsmere since the birth of the ABC scheme. Reporter Suruchi Sharma looks at what life used to be like when residents had one tin bin.

Waste management never used to be a contentious issue. The only thing people in Hertsmere had to worry about was who would put the bin out.

“All we ever had was a tin dustbin as the need for rubbish collecting was not so acute as it is now,” said Alan Lawrence, honourary curator at Elstree and Boreham Wood Museum, in Drayton Road.

The ABC (additional bin collections) scheme, introduced two years ago by Hertsmere Borough Council, has been a source of contoversy with residents since its implementation.

Under the scheme, non-recyclable waste is collected on week one in black wheelie bins, together with plastic bottles and cans in a black box.

On week two, garden waste is collected from green wheelie bins as well as newspapers in blue boxes.

Wheelie bins were introduced by the council to the area ten years ago, with newspaper collection starting in 2002 and green waste collection in 2005.

Mr Lawrence said it was likely proper waste management was introduced at the beginning of the 20th Century.

He said: “It was around 1894 when the government formulised what councils were responsible for and then at the turn of the century, waste collecting was officially implemented.

“There were not many houses in the area then so with a low population, there was not very much waste to collect. It was actually not until the Clean Air Act [in 1956] that everyone stopped lighting bonfires to get rid of rubbish.”

Mr Lawrence said increased packaging has added to the amount of rubbish.

He said: “Look at the amount of packaging that comes with furniture. Years ago if you bought a table and chairs you would have it delivered to your door in a van.

“Now you can pick up a flat pack set at IKEA or a shop like that and you will have to dispose of a great amount of packaging, including huge cardboard bits which are not easy to get rid of.

“It’s the same principle with food as nowadays everything is packaged in plastic. It used to be that you could buy a pound of butter and it would be wrapped for you in paper.

“Sugar was always put in paper bags also.”

Museum trustee David Taylor said: “You have to remember that 200 or 300 years ago there was no formal system for disposing rubbish.

“Often it was just thrown out of windows. Old rubbish carts were very simple things compared to what you get now.

“However, people had their own form of recycling. A long time ago people would go and get their milk in a jug therefore saving on packaging altogether.

“After that, people started getting milk in bottles delivered to their doors.

“The bottle would be re-used as they still are now, but since then we also have supermarket milk in plastic bottles that we have to recycle. “Biscuits came in metal tins and when you went to the shop they were weighed out and put in a paper bag.

“That paper bag was then re-used to help light the fire.”

Paul Welsh, entertainments officer for the Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council, said the festive season highlights the changes in waste habits over the years.

He said: “I think we are more of a consuming society now. You could argue that manufacturers don’t help this problem.

“Christmas is a time when there will be a lot of rubbish that needs to be recycled.

“People didn’t all used to have freezers so wouldn’t stock food and had far less income and shopped more regularly. Now people throw away so much food.

“There is a growing population that is consuming more and therefore throwing away more. It seems recycling has now become a necessity.”

If you have any memories or old pictures of dustcarts or waste collection staff, email bwnews@ london.newsquest.co.uk