Bin offenders set to be tagged
A trial which will see overloaded waste bins being tagged and then not emptied is now a step closer following further approval from North Lanarkshire councillors.
The Wishaw Press told last month how a three-month pilot project is set to get under way aiming to address the persistent problem of bins which are presented with lids in near-vertical positions and are too full to be collected safely.
It has now been rubber-stamped by the authority’s planning committee – which is also now working on implementing a new policy which will pass on the £90 cost of the three recycling bins required at each new property constructed in North Lanarkshire to housebuilders.
A report for the planning committee noted: “Over the last five years approximately 5000 new homes have been built which has resulted in a cost to the waste service of £450,000.
“It is expected that this increased housing growth will continue to at least the level detailed above; to mitigate this cost pressure, it is proposed that the cost for supply of all bins to a new-build property will be passed to the developer and this will be contained within the planning consent.
“This will also prevent the new tenant having to occupy a new property but then be faced with the additional expense and inconvenience of having to order and await delivery of the new bins; this charge will be integrated to the planning process of all future new-build development.”
Locations for the overloaded bins trial are still to be decided; it will see bins which are too full initially being tagged and recycling assistance and information being offered to householders, followed by rubbish not being collected in the event of repeat incidences.
North Lanarkshire’s environment committee was previously told: “Bins whose lids are almost at 90 degrees due to the levels of waste being placed in them are not capable of being collected safely.
“Bags have to be removed before being emptied; if these are left on the street, this provides further complaints to the council, and if they are placed back in the bin the council receives a call to say it has been missed.
“It is highly likely that residents [in these cases] are not recycling to the extent that they should be. Moving recyclable materials into one of the three [other] bins will increase recycling levels and reduce overall disposal costs.”
The report added of the trial: “Areas to be selected will be those where there is general compliance and it is envisaged that it will have a positive impact.
“It is accepted that there will be worse areas for overloaded bins, but the purpose of the pilot will be to determine what improvements could be made before consideration of extending to other council areas.”
Environment committee convener Michael McPake previously told the Wishaw Press: “The main issues are safety and increasing recycling.
“Those which are overloaded can be dangerous for operators as they can’t see the machine when they’re trying to load the bin onto the back of it; and it’s to try and educate that bit further on recycling, as the whole idea of the three-week collection is to try to cut down on stuff going to landfill or the
incinerator.”