Northumberland "bin police" plan angers residents

Posted by The Journal on May 23, 09 02:34 PM in Councils

Contents of a wheelie bin Rubbish police could confiscate bins if householders fill them with the wrong items.

Northumberland County Council hopes to crack down on contamination in recycling wheelie bins using hard-line tactics.

Householders who repeatedly ignore warnings to stop throwing waste food, nappies or dirty items into the bin which is supposed to be for dry, clean, recyclable materials, will have their bin confiscated.

They will then be charged £35 to get their bin back.

The county council said it considered it "a reasonable and fair approach" to addressing the issue of contamination and says it could hand out fixed penalty notices but has chosen not to take this approach as it is too heavy-handed.

But some say it marks the creation of a "bin police".

Mike Thorpe, parish councillor for Henshaw in the Tyne Valley, said: "It beggars belief. I really do think we have come to a police state when it comes to bins. What sort of society are we living in."

Ponteland North county councillor Richard Dodd said: "It sounds like a silly idea, although I understand the motive of trying to make people recycle properly. But they are going about it the wrong way.

"This scheme will be vastly unpopular and will have to be scrapped."

A county council spokeswoman said: "The quality of recyclable materials is critical to the ongoing success and sustainability of any recycling scheme.

"We cannot afford to ignore contamination, especially as end users of the products become increasingly selective over what materials they will take.

"Unfortunately there are some residents who just use their recycling bin as a second dustbin and place general household waste into the recycling bin."

Council chiefs say if their bin collectors notice someone putting something into the bin which should not go in there, their bin will be slapped with a sticker reminding them what can be recycled.

A three-strike system will apply, meaning if a bin is found contaminated three times it will be taken away.

Last year we reported how the county council planned to analyse what rubbish was collected in the twin bins in Northumberland to help them find ways to improve the system.

Further information is available from http://www.northumberland.gov.uk">these pages on Northumberland County Council's website or by calling the contact centre on 0845 600-6400.

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