Bin collectors abused over new recycling rules

Recycling bins have purple lids for paper and cardboard

Bin collectors have been verbally abused as a new recycling regime starts, a council said.

South Kesteven District Council in Lincolnshire is asking residents to split recycling between two bins with purple and silver lids.

Paper and cardboard should be put in the purple bin with plastics and tins going in the silver one.

The council said refuse collectors were not responsible for the changes and asked the public to remain courteous.

'Advisory tags'

South Kesteven District Council has called the new scheme "a twin stream recycling system".

The authority explained: "Households are now being asked to place clean and dry paper and cardboard in their purple-lidded bins, while items such as plastic tubs and bottles, glass, tins and cans still go in the silver bin for recycling.

"Isolated incidents have been reported of refuse staff out on the rounds - and even customer services call handlers - being subjected to verbal abuse and aggression."

BBC Look North reported in January that initially many bins had been left uncollected for containing the wrong items, but a further report in early February found large improvements.

Residents are asked to put plastics and tins in their silver bin

However, in an email to the programme this week one resident of Ropsley, near Grantham, was unhappy.

Lara said: "Because there was one (wet) pink box on the top of our silver recycling bin today they have refused to take the bin away. What do we pay our council tax for?"

South Kesteven District Council said: "This week silver bins that contained the wrong items were not being collected - with advisory tags left on them explaining why."

Leader, Cllr Ashley Baxter, said: "It is totally unacceptable that the men and women who empty our bins are subject to any abuse. They are simply carrying out their work."

The council said most people had embraced the changes.

A spokesperson said: "Almost 98% of the new purple-lidded bins that were collected last week contained only dry, clean paper and card - that's more than 400 tonnes of uncontaminated material that will be recycled.

"We don't want to leave any bins unemptied so we need residents to take responsibility to make sure the right thing goes in the right bin, which takes just a few extra seconds."