More than 9,000 recycling bins rejected in North Kesteven this week

More than 9,000 bins have been rejected by North Kesteven District Council so far this week as authorities clamp down on what can and cannot be recycled.

North Kesteven District Council’s recent introduction of a purple bin for dry and clean paper and cardboard has caused confusion with nearly 20 per cent of green-lidded bins – meant for plastic, glass and cans – not emptied by refuse collectors, in the second collection since the scheme started.

Residents have hit out at the amount of rubbish left behind and the council’s strict rules – with some even resorting to abuse of the refuse collectors – but NKDC bosses say recycling contamination is “undermining” their efforts and that advice is being offered to residents who break the rules.

Here is the breakdown of collections this week so far:

Monday – 1,864 rejected (19% of bins presented)

Tuesday – 2,279 rejected (19.5%)

Wednesday – 2,651 rejected (23%)

Thursday – 2,320 rejected (21%)

Lynda Somers took to North Hykeham Community Page to write: “The straw that broke the camel’s back… I am so meticulous in my recycling but bin not emptied today. I want to dump it all and the two bins at the [NKDC] office.

“I will no longer recycle, I’m going to order a big black bin.”

And her sentiments were echoed by several others.

Others took a lighter approach, with Daryl James writing: “Just heard there will be public floggings held at the North Hykeham Village Green Saturday morning for all of the naughty folk that didn’t obey the strict green bin protocols….. please bring your tag of shame so it can warrant how many floggings you will receive.”

Another resident said on Sleaford social media: “They didn’t take our bin today and put a ticket on it to say there was paper in there. There was one brown paper McDonalds bag on the top that was the only item and it wasn’t even ours someone must have put it in there walking by.”

Another Leasingham resident said: “Got green label, phoned them (council) up, it was one biscuit wrapper and one tissue. Long wait on phone, rude women who said it was our job to sort rubbish, when I said couldn’t the guy just have picked them two bits out and put them in my black bin and just told me? She said I would have to wait four weeks now. The bin will be overflowing by then so I told her I now would have to do something that I hate but this is what it has come to.”

A Quarrington resident said: “I got a green label of shame, one dirty, greasy bit of paper on the top! I’m not sure if this is right, but the rubbish is our property until it leaves the bin? Where is their warrant to search it? What right is it of theirs to do that? We pay for a service that is not being carried out.”

In the purple bin collection week, which ran from September 27, just 1.5% of bins were rejected.

A spokesman for North Kesteven District Council emphasised that what can and cannot be recycled had not changed, just where it went.

Council leader, Coun Richard Wright, said: “Contamination is an issue which is increasingly impacting on how much can be recycled and undermining all the efforts our households are making on their recycling at home.

“The only way to stop this is by everyone taking responsibility for our waste, by making sure only the right thing goes into the right bin.”

He said the council had been communicating with residents on the new rules since July.

“We never want to leave a bin unemptied unless it’s really necessary,” he added.

“The wrong things regularly found in green-lidded bins – from soft plastics such as film lids and carrier bags to other items such as kitchen roll and used tissues, takeaway containers and even dirty nappies – can’t be recycled and contaminate other good recycling in bins and even the lorry load itself.

“This results in not only increased sorting costs but less items recycled as residents expect them to be,” he said.