Refuse bosses in new warning

‘Contaminated’bins will not be lifted

Recycling bins in Rutherglen and Cambuslang which have been contaminated by the wrong material will no longer be lifted during scheduled collections.

A new South Lanarkshire scheme which sees contaminated bins marked with a red tag came into force this week. It will be the householder’s responsibility to ensure that the contaminated material is removed before the next collection day.

Contamination of recycling bins cost the council almost £60,000 in April – money which they say would have been spent on services.

At the start of the summer, stickers were placed on residents’ blue bins to remind them what can and can’t go in them.

During July, August and September, contaminated bins had yellow tags placed on them which told the resident that their bin was contaminated and to leave it out for collection on their next general waste collection day.

The most common types of contamination found are black bag waste, nappies, food waste, electrical items, textiles and shoes.

Blue bins can take paper and card, including: Newspapers, magazines, leaflets, phone directories, envelopes (fully intact including glue and windows), brochures, office paper and letters.

They can also take catalogues, unwanted mail, shredded paper, wrapping paper and paperback books, cereal boxes, brown corrugated packaging, sleeves from ready meals, toilet/kitchen roll tubes, greetings cards, cardboard egg boxes and toothpaste boxes.

Hardback books are also accepted but residents asked they be reused or donated to a charity shop. Items not accepted in blue bins include: Tissues, napkins, paper towels, nappies, laminated paper, padded envelopes, wet paper, textiles, Pringles tubes, drinks and food cartons, wet card and cardboard and takeaway food boxes (like pizza boxes) if they are contaminated with food.

The recycling tagging scheme was unpopular with many residents across the area, many of whom voiced their disapproval on the Reformer Facebook page.

Jackie Rinn wrote: “We don’t have to recycle, it’s what we pay for. We do a service by offering to help the council out by recycling, it’s not mandatory and no law set to say otherwise.”

Laura Nicholson Griffin added: “They left my neighbour’s bin last week and I offered to take the ‘contaminated’ items out so it could still be emptied and was flatly refused.

“I’m all for recycling but help us out!”

We do a service by offering to help the council out by recycling