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Shut your bin or it won't be collected
Mark Prigg, Science Correspondent27.11.07
A third of Britain's councils refuse to empty bins if lids are not closed properly, a new study has found.
It claims many households have been forced to place rubbish in neighbours' bins to ensure it is collected.
The councils that refuse to empty waste, which include Ealing and Barnet, claim the rules will encourage residents to recycle more to cut down on the amount of waste put into general bins.
Councils are hoping to avoid huge European Union fines for missing recycling targets. If the UK fails to recycle 40 per cent of its waste by 2010 (the current rate is 31 per cent) the European Court of Justice could impose heavy penalties.
"You do want people to recycle more, and if you encourage people to leave their lids open then you invite maggots," said Paul Bettison of the Local Government Association's environment board.
"Plus, if wheelie bin lids are not shut, then they can be chewed up by the automatic lifting device."
However, campaigners claim the rules for rubbish collection were becoming too complex.
Christine Melsom, of the IsItFair council tax protest group, said: "They can't just not take the rubbish if the bid lid is a bit open - that's a ludicrous situation. The service is becoming very complicated. Ithink people are fed up with it all."
The study by the Times contacted the 50 largest councils in England and Wales, all London boroughs not in the 50 and several councils in the North-West that have recently implemented policies for overflowing bins - 71 in total.
A third said that bin lids must be closed before rubbish collectors will empty them. The survey also found that of the 53 councils that offer wheelie bin collections almost half would not empty bins with raised lids.
Many councils also refuse to collect "side waste" - sacks of rubbish left next to a wheelie bin. Some said that they treated this as fly-tipping, which is punishable with a fixed fine.
London's recycling performance has been described as a "national embarrassment" by green campaigners after a government league table found that Tower Hamlets has the worst record in the country.
It recycles 11.75 per cent of the rubbish it produces compared with a national average of 31 per cent.
Reader views (3)
Nu Labour should do something for its council taxes! And that includes rubbish collection.
- Jerome, London
Who else feels completely stifled in this country? Who else feels we are being ground down with petty rules (i.e. not allowed to leave the bloody bin lids open now - what a dismal pathetic rule)and as for health and safety! This country has lost its marbles and sense of fun - its no wonder that thousands of Brits are shipping out of this gloomy country. I agree with some of the rules, especially about hoodies in shops but its getting to the point where I’m going to flip out! Its just so pointless, having a rule that bans you from, well lets say, leaving a orange sac outside of a orange sac bin because its full and you flipping well get fined for 'fly-tipping'.
- Robbie, brentwood england
If the council refuse to take your refuse away, ask for a rebate on your council tax. Likewise, when there's a water shortage. If you can't use the water you've paid for, ask for your money back! If you pay for a service, you're entitled to a service, not half a service or a token gesture, god forbid a fine for expecting to have your refuse taken away. What is the world coming to? It's madness!
- Kevin Lilley, Chertsey, Surrey
