£100,000 ‘bin police’ squad rubbished
A £100,000 “bin police” squad set up to snoop on residents’ rubbish has landed a council in a row over waste.
Opponents say the move is an invasion of privacy... and the money could be better spent elsewhere.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has taken on the staff to sift through the contents of blue wheelie bins in a bid to boost its recycling rates.
The council says the six-strong team has been appointed because some families have dumped items such as soiled nappies and sanitary products in their recycling.
Every household in the area will now be issued with a guide on what they can place in their grey, brown and blue containers.
Anyone caught breaching the rules will find a yellow warning notice on their bin, meaning their waste may not be collected. Yesterday, residents blasted the scheme as “over the top” and an “invasion of privacy”.
Jim Gibson, chairman of Chell Heath Residents’ Association, said: “Look at all the care homes and libraries they’ve shut.
“Couldn’t the £100,000 be spent on keeping them open?
“There could be fireworks if people spot men poking around their bins.”
Retired teacher Gloria Fox, 71, who lives in Longton, said: “My husband and I are recycling as much as possible and I agree that more people should be encouraged to do the same.
“But this is a step too far. It is just another example of the Big Brother state. There are so many more important things they could have spent such a vast sum of money on.
“People where I live will definitely see it as an invasion of privacy.”
Stoke-on-Trent is aiming to recycle 50 per cent of household waste by 2020, compared with the 35 per cent it collects now.
Nick Bentley, the council’s waste client manager, said common issues with recycling included pizza boxes with crusts left inside.
He added: “Another mistake is to put a plastic bottle still containing liquid in a blue bin.
“If people just poured the unwanted contents away, there would be no problem.
“If people just took a little more time when recycling items, it would have a major impact.”