West Lindsey council rejects dozens of blue bins in waste crackdown

West Lindsey District Council has issued tags on bins which have the incorrect waste inside

Refuse workers refused to empty dozens of blue wheelie bins in a Lincolnshire village amidst a council rubbish-sorting crackdown.

Up to 40 people living in Dunholme, near Lincoln, reported their blue bins being rejected this week.

West Lindsey District Council has enforced new rules, saying up to a third of waste put in blue bins cannot be recycled.

It said it had explained the updated guidance to residents.

In March, the authority began placing advisory tags on bins when incorrect waste, such as non-recyclable material in the recycling bin, was found inside.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), some people said they were not given an explanation for their blue bins being rejected.

Julia Brown said a tag was not placed on her bin to explain why it went unemptied.

"It's disgusting, I'm not sure what's in it that can't go in as no label [was] left to explain why. I've referred back to the leaflet and everything that is in it is on the leaflet so I'm confused!"

'People will give up'

Another resident, who did not give her name, said: "Everyone is so confused - they want to do the right thing but don't know how.

"It seems like people are going through the bins to look for any small detail to reject them.

"If the blue bins are full, recycling will have to go in the black bins instead to be thrown away. A lot of people will give up. 

"I saw nine bins which had been rejected on a single road. Some didn't even have tags - had the bin police run out?"

Paper, cardboard, soft plastics, clothes and electrical items are all banned from blue bins.

West Lindsey District Council said it had explained the new rules to households and urged them to check guidance.