South Kesteven council leader apologises for 'Bingate' controversy

Recent statistics reveal that approximately 7,000 silver mixed dry recycling bins were not collected on Monday, February 19, and Tuesday, February 20, representing 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the total collections on those days.

Outrage spread amongst thousands of district residents when they discovered their bins adorned with the now-infamous “tags of shame” and left uncollected.

Waste operatives and call-handling staff also faced abuse, intimidation, and threatening behaviour, which the council said are “unacceptable.”

That’s why the council has now decided to stop rejecting contaminated recycling bins, giving people extra time to adapt to the new scheme.

Conservative MP Michael Gove, Secretary for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, has also stepped in, calling on Independent Councillor Baxter to extend a formal apology to the residents impacted by the situation.

“South Kesteven District Council has had great Conservative representation in the past, but I am concerned about Ashley Baxter, the Independent leader, that the bingate scandal still hasn’t had an appropriate answer or apology,” said Gove in a video shared on X.

“I support good local government, whatever the party that is in charge. But the people of South Kesteven need answers, I suspect they need an apology – Ashley, over to you.”

Despite his reluctance to issue what he considered an “extorted” apology, Councillor Baxter, during a Full Council meeting on Thursday, conceded that he was prepared to apologise to residents who had properly separated their waste yet still experienced bin rejections.

“To any of those people who had bins rejected for whatever reason, I apologise,” he said.

The Independent councillor later clarified that he refused to apologise to residents found to be contaminating their recycling bins with inappropriate items, such as dirty nappies, which he explained have never been accepted in recycling bins.

“Those bins should have been rejected,” he continued, urging fellow councillors to remind residents about the importance of sorting their waste into the appropriate bins.

- SKDC’s waste crews will be collecting purple-lidded bins again next week, starting Monday March 4, and residents are being asked to put them out for 7.30am in the usual place.

The council will not be collecting any additional recycling left out by the side of bins and there will be no collections next week for bag/sack customers who do not have a purple-lidded wheelie bin.

White or clear sacks will be collected the week starting March 18 for clean, dry recycling (glass bottles, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, metal tins and cans) on the same week as the silver bin collections.

Any household without the space to store their bagged recycling is asked to get in touch with SKDC either by email to [email protected] or call 01476 406544 to help find the solution that suits them best.

Cabinet Members for Environment and Waste, Councillors Patsy Ellis and Rhys Baker, said: "We were delighted by the first collection of paper and waste from the purple-lidded bins and would like to pass on a huge thank you from ourselves and the collection crews: we hope that we can all keep this up.

“Very few bins were contaminated - only two per cent. Remember, it is only dry, clean waste card and paper that should go into the purple-lidded bins. These will be collected every four weeks from now on.

"We cannot empty your bins if you put incorrect items in them, which includes plastic bags, so please separate your paper and card recycling to make sure it is loose in the bin and not in a plastic bag.

"Anyone who needs advice, please get in touch."

All other clean, dry recycling (glass bottles, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, metal tins and cans) should be put loose in the silver bin as usual. As with the paper and card, please do not put these items in plastic bags before putting them in the bin.

Excess waste should be disposed of at your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre. Locations can be found at www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/recycling-waste or by calling 01522 782070.

To check your individual bin collection days, please visit www.southkesteven.gov.uk/bincollectionday

What goes in which bin: www.southkesteven.gov.uk/whichbin

Answers to your FAQs can be found online at www.southkesteven.gov.uk/PCFAQ