Bin men being asked to keep an eye on what people put in their bins by councils

Bin men across large areas of the county are being asked to keep an eye on what people are throwing in their plastic containers. In Southampton, residents who break the rules will be reminded of possible “enforcement measures”, according to a council report.

And anyone tempted to throw their leaves, cut grass and unwanted foliage in their recycling or household waste bins in Eastleigh could be logged in a computer, receive an automatically generated letter or face a visit from a council officer.

The council will also refuse to take the rubbish away.

Bin checks With other authorities, including Fareham, Winchester, Test Valley and the New Forest, bin men are also asked to check up on what people are throwing away. Some send out information leaflets or attach notes to bins if they find residents trying to stash rubbish in the wrong container.

As previously reported by the Daily Echo, civic chiefs in Southampton and Eastleigh want people to pay for a controversial third plastic bin outside their homes for garden waste.

Now council tax campaigners fear “rubbish police” in the two communities will keep a close eye on whether garden waste is being placed in the right container.

In Eastleigh, rubbish will go uncollected and a note will be attached to the top of the wheelie bin if an offender is found.

Refuse collectors will use in-cab technology to make a note of the property involved and repeat offenders will then be sent an automatically generated letter.

If that fails, further letters will be sent before the resident receives a visit from a council officer.

But ultimately, there will be no fines for those who constantly break the rules with waste simply going uncollected until bins contain the right materials.

Refuse collectors in Southampton will also be asked to carry out checks during rounds while residents will be reminded of possible “enforcement measures” should greenery find its way in to domestic waste. Last night the council was unable to say what those measures were.

Jonathan Isaby, political director of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said charging residents for garden waste collection was “the thin end of the wedge” for residents.

And he added: “One of the most basic services that people expect in return for their cash is for their rubbish to be collected. “The idea that the councils are going to use rubbish police to rifle through people’s bins and spy on their waste will be especially alarming to local residents.”

Don Thomas Southampton city councillor for the Coxford area said the policy of refuse collectors checking through bins was “ridiculous”.

He added: “The average resident out there already understands the importance of where to put rubbish but now they almost feel they have to walk on egg shells and be so careful about what they throw away.

“Putting things in the right bin is now becoming a chore rather than something people would want to do happily and on a voluntary basis.

Unscrupulous methods “I certainly believe this is going to cause more fly-tipping. I think unscrupulous people with lots of garden waste may also now look for alternative ways of disposing of their waste.”

Councils say the aim of checking waste is to educate residents about recycling, avoid the risk of contaminating a load and encouraging homeowners to put the correct materials in each bin.

Southampton City Council’s Cabinet member for the environment, Asa Thorpe, said: “It’s important that the council collects good quality materials for recycling and composting.

“If any garden waste bag contains materials that are not accepted, like bricks, it will not be collected. If the materials are removed the bag will be emptied on the next scheduled collection date.

“The contamination of recycling and general waste reduced the quality of our recycling and there is a risk that it will be rejected by the re-processors. This means the council loses income and also has to pay for the disposal of these items.

Cllr Thorpe refused to confirm what the “enforcement measures” were, but said the council were “concentrating on educating at the moment, as opposed to punishment.”