Council wastes thousands on free DVDs telling residents how to fill their wheelie bins

But for those householders who have forgotten the mysterious art, a new DVD is available to refresh the memory.

The ten-minute film aims to educate residents about what items should be placed in which bins.

'Waste of money': An action-packed scene from Fylde and Wear Council's DVD on how and where to put rubbish in bins

The step-by-step guide shows a recycling officer rummaging through the kitchen bin of a householder to show her what items should be recycled in the council-provided bins and boxes.

She separates recyclables from household rubbish including cans, bottles, cardboard, clothing, newspapers and garden waste.

Viewers who struggle with a precise definition of garden waste are told it includes flowers, leaves and small bits of wood.

But they are warned not to place large items, such as a 'wooden door frame', in the garden waste bin.

The DVD has been produced by Fylde and Wyre councils in Lancashire, which share rubbish collection, and around 1,000 copies are available to residents across the two boroughs.

But critics have branded the scheme 'a ridiculous and needless exercise' and condemned the councils, which have split the £2,130 cost, for wasting money.

Matthew Sinclair of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'These DVDs, ironically, are sure to end up in the bin. With council tax rates having doubled across the country in the last ten years, councils should be focused on keeping that burden down, not on finding ever more inventive ways to waste the proceeds.'

Councillors said the money would have been better spent maintaining public services.

They say council facilities for pensioners and children in both boroughs had all been hit in recent years, and a swimming pool was recently closed to cut costs.

Liz Oades, an independent member of Fylde Council, said: 'I don't understand why the council couldn't just get the message out via the press free.

'These small amounts of money that are wasted all add up. Maybe if these small amounts were reduced we could have kept the baths open.'

However, Clive Grunshaw, Labour opposition leader on Wyre Council, applauded the recycling DVD.

Going solo: A man in Bristol fills his bin without the help of an instructional DVD

He said: 'Waste management is one of the biggest issues facing local government and this is an innovative way of assisting in facing-this challenge.'

Vivien Taylor of Wyre Council said: 'Wyre is already doing very well with the amount of rubbish it recycles but we're confident that with a little help residents can help us to recycle even more.

'Separating our recyclables and knowing which container to place them in can be a daunting task for everyone, but we're hoping that this film will help to make life easier for all residents.'

To watch video visit: http://www.wyrebc.gov.uk

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Householders who fail to sort out their recycling are to be charged £10 by a council.

Exeter City Council's penalty on those who put normal rubbish in their green recycling bins is thought to be the first in the country.

It says the charge is not a tax but is needed to pay for the cost of sorting out the mess.

Two years ago the council became the first in Britain to prosecute a resident for putting general waste in her green bin.

Mother-of-four Donna Challice, 33, was accused of putting soiled nappies and food waste in her recycling bin, but the case was dismissed by magistrates.

The council says it has been forced to bring in the levy because 25 homes a day put the wrong sort of rubbish in green bins.

Recycling teams have found an urn containing human ashes, dead cats, dog mess and broken glass.

The charge will apply only to those who continue to put normal waste in their recycling bins after a series of warnings.