A TEAM of ‘bin police’ is to monitor residents’ rubbish in a south Shropshire town as part of a controversial Government scheme which could see householders fined for not disposing their rubbish properly.Already dubbed the ‘Talibin’ by opponents, the rubbish checkers are part of the Government’s new Zero Waste Places Scheme, being piloted in six counties across Britain.
The idea is being trialled in Bishop’s Castle as part of a £10,000 Zero Waste pilot, with plans to roll the system out across Shropshire in the future.
Under the plan people will have to sort different types of waste into separate bins – perhaps as many as five – and anyone found to be underperforming will be subjected to targeted awareness campaigns and surveys. Fines could be used as a last resort.
The scheme focuses on radically reducing the amount of waste produced by asking people to sort and collect everything that could possibly be burned, re-used or recycled.
Residents will be issued with a variety of recycling bins, including a home compost bin, to sort refuse into specific categories. The traditional black bin will remain for the, (hopefully) very small amount sent to landfill.
The new plan involves a waste composition analysis which will see an independent research company targeting specific areas of houses every week and taking samples of their rubbish.
Contents will then be taken to depots where the research consultants will sift through rubbish to identify problem materials and how recycling can be maximised.
Officers will also have the option to fine people deemed to be breaking waste rules under the terms of the Environmental Protection Act (1990).
Bob Neill, Shadow Minister for Local Government, said: “This ‘Binquisition’ is another sign of how Labour don’t care about the privacy of law-abiding citizens and treat home owners like common criminals.”
Larry Wolfe, head of waste management at Shropshire Council, said: “The ongoing scheme looks at working with DEFRA and local authorities to encourage good ideas for significantly reducing waste and increasing recycling with the view to eventually taking zero waste to landfill.
“One of the ways we do this is to monitor what sort of materials are in people’s bins. It isn’t snooping; it’s a way of gathering more intelligence so that we can identify and target those materials that are a problem and prevent waste.”
Under section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act, Shropshire Council would even have the power to issue hefty fines to householders that are found to be breaking any waste rules.
“As long as Shropshire keeps performing to the level that they are at the moment there would be little need to do this.
“The funding for the pilot scheme has to be used by the end of the financial year but the new initiatives will last beyond that period and there is scope to extend the scheme further, although this is not timetabled as of yet.”
