Flintshire council denies plans to inspect black bin rubbish

Flintshire’s Streetscene team has denied suggestions the council will be inspecting black bin waste and issuing fines to residents when a new three-weekly waste collection schedule begins.

As the county prepares to move to three-weekly collections for non-recyclable waste – which Flintshire residents have to put into their black bin – rumours have been growing around how the system will work and whether there will be a stricter enforcement regime by the local authority.

Recently some residents have claimed that the authority’s own waste collection workers are saying they will need to inspect rubbish and issue fines to residents.

But these claims have now been dismissed by the head of the council’s Streetscene team.

The new timetable for rubbish collection will begin on Monday, April 28.

“This is the only change being made to our waste collection service,” said Katie Wilby, Chief Officer for Streetscene and Transportation.

“Our crews do not inspect black bin contents or issue fines. Where households are found not to be recycling routinely, we will offer support and education on a case-by-case basis.

“This change is aimed at helping us reach the Welsh Government’s statutory recycling target of 70%. By taking advantage of the weekly recycling services provided and sorting waste correctly, households will naturally produce less non-recyclable waste, reducing the amount that needs to go in the black bin.

“Weekly collections of food waste and dry recycling will continue as normal and garden waste will still be collected every two weeks for those signed up for the service.

“All residents have a legal duty of care to dispose of their waste and recycling properly. Waste should be separated into the correct containers in line with council guidance. Incorrectly sorted or contaminated recycling, may be left until the next collection, giving customers the opportunity to segregate it correctly.

“In such cases, crews will leave a notice explaining why the recycling wasn’t collected, giving residents the opportunity to rectify this before the next scheduled collection.

“The council also operates a strict excess waste policy, and no additional non-recyclable waste left outside the bin will be collected. Persistent non-compliance could potentially lead to enforcement action as a last resort.”

The change has proved controversial, with a door-knocking engagement campaign to explain the changes called off after a few days due to threats made to council staff.

The authority has been running a roadshow across the county answering questions and handing out additional recycling bags and boxes over recent weeks – events that Streetscene officers say the public have engaged with positively.

By Alec Doyle – Local Democracy Reporter