Householders have been warned to pay close attention to rules around waste in the home.
Warning for UK households using black bin liners in November and December
A warning has been issued to UK households using black bins. Ahead of Christmas, householders have been warned to pay close attention to rules around waste in the home.
Households in England are being urged to pay close attention to the ways they deal with waste in the home. If you follow the wrong procedures, you could get a notice and even a fine of £80.
Although the UK government has called on local councils to take a “measured and balanced approach”. According to the site, it says that householders should not be penalised for “minor breaches of waste bin rules”.
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According to the UK government’s website, councils can issue fixed penalties if householders put waste out in the following ways.
- The waste causes an obstruction to neighbours, such as forcing people using wheelchairs or buggies to walk on the road.
- If waste restricts access to the pavement or street, for example leaving waste receptacles (bins or bags) out for several days.
- If rubbish is likely to attract vermin like foxes and rats, such as leaving bags or open receptacles out days before waste collection.
- If the bins are unsightly – which includes torn bags or overturned receptacles which are left out.
Separately, Ali Ligee, waste management expert at Rubbish.com, said: “People rush to clear up their gardens before the service ends and end up putting all sorts of things in the wrong bin.
“Soil, stones, plastic pots, even food, all of these can contaminate green waste and cause entire lorry loads to be rejected. While most local authorities issue warnings first, repeat offenders can be fined or have their bins left uncollected.
“It’s the time of year when a little care really matters. A few common errors can easily cost you. Plastic bags are one of the worst offenders. People think lining their garden bin will make it cleaner, but those bags can’t be processed and often end up choking the composting equipment.”
Lijee added: “That’s frustrating when you’ve spent hours cleaning up leaves. But it’s not the crews’ fault. Once a bag breaks, the whole load’s ruined.”
A spokesperson from My Home Improvements said: “It’s one of the most common mistakes we see.
“Soil might look natural, but it causes major issues for councils trying to turn garden waste into compost. Even a little bit can ruin a whole batch.”
