District council calls on householders not to abuse staff over new recycling bin scheme

Households are now being asked to place clean and dry paper and cardboard in their purple-lidded bins, while items such as plastic tubs and bottles, glass, tins and cans still go in the silver bin for recycling, in line with similar schemes rolled out in other districts across the county in the last couple of years.

This week silver bins or clear bags that contained the wrong items were not being collected - with advisory tags left on them explaining why.

Additional items left at the side of bins are also no longer being collected.

Isolated incidents have been reported of refuse staff out on the rounds – and even customer services call handlers – being subjected to verbal abuse and aggression.

Leader of the Council, Coun Ashley Baxter, said: “It is totally unacceptable that the men and women who empty our bins are subject to any abuse. They are simply carrying out their jobs, as they do under all sorts of conditions. They are not responsible for these changes and we ask you to remain courteous and polite to them.”

SKDC’s Joint Cabinet Members for Environment and Waste, Coun Rhys Baker and Coun Patsy Ellis, thanked all those who had bought into the new initiative.

They said: “This is a scheme to help us all to improve our recycling rates and most residents seemed to have embraced it. Reports show that almost 98 per cent of the new purple-lidded bins that were collected last week contained only dry, clean paper and card – that’s more than 400 tonnes of uncontaminated material that will be recycled.

“Letters and leaflets explaining the scheme have been sent to every household, there is an ongoing social media awareness campaign and there has been widespread media coverage of the new scheme.

“We don’t want to leave any bins unemptied so we need residents to take responsibility to make sure the Right Thing goes in the Right Bin, which takes just a few extra seconds.”

If bins have been rejected for collection residents are asked to remove any items incorrectly placed in them, which are detailed on the tags, and then re-present the bin on their next collection date. There is also the option

of taking the contents to their nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre.

If there is any dispute over the tags residents can ask for a home visit by an officer who will make an in-person visit and advise on the bin contents if required.

See what goes in which bin here: www.southkesteven.gov.uk/whichbin

For further information check out the useful FAQs at www.southkesteven.gov.uk/PCFAQ , email the team at [email protected] or call 01476 406544.

You can also watch informative YouTube videos:

- Soft plastics: https://youtu.be/3_9gyegSOow

- What goes in your purple-lidded bin - and what doesn't: https://youtu.be/rhy9yp0IvQA

- Meet the school children demonstrating recycling changes: https://youtu.be/dGo66AQ2tiA