'Bad recyclers' face waste charge

People in a Devon city who persistently put non-recyclable waste in recycling bins could have to pay for special collections under new council plans.

Exeter City Council said it was finding more green bins were being contaminated and it was looking to recoup some of the cost from persistent offenders.

Contaminated recyclable waste causes stoppages at the city recycling centre.

The council stressed that only persistent offenders would be charged if the plans were approved.

I've found dead animals, contraceptives, drug paraphernalia, all sorts Refuse collector Peter Delaney

Refuse collectors are rejecting up to 25 recycling bins a day from the city's 50,000 households if they find the wrong type of rubbish in them.

Collector Peter Delaney said: "When we open a bin, we never know exactly what we're going to find. It could be anything.

"I've found dead animals, contraceptives, drug paraphernalia, all sorts."

Machinery at the recycling centre sorts six tonnes of plastics, steel and aluminium every hour.

But if contamination gets through, the plant has to be shut down and cleaned. Each stoppage costs �275 in lost man-hours and sometimes it can happen nearly 20 times a day.

The council said it was looking at ways to prevent that.

'Foul nappies'

Head of Cleansing Services Mike Trim said if rubbish was put out properly then no fees would be levied.

He said: "What we're actually saying is that if you take things like the foul nappies out and present it correctly, then we'll collect it free of charge.

"However, if you're not prepared to do that and you want your bin emptied, you will pay us a fee for a special collection."

The move comes partly in response to the council's unsuccessful attempt to prosecute Donna Challice in 2006 for allegedly dumping the wrong type of rubbish in her green bin. The court ruled it could not be proved she was responsible.

The council has stressed that only continuous contaminators would face charges. The proposals come before the council's scrutiny committee next week.

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