East Suffolk Council to issue warnings over recyclable waste bin collections

East Suffolk Council is introducing tougher rules on recycling to try and prevent contamination and rejection of waste

Residents have been warned their bins might not be collected if they contaminate recyclable waste.

East Suffolk Council said two warnings would be issued before it stopped collecting blue bins.

Letters have been sent to residents living in Lowestoft, "where recycling is particularly problematic".

The council said bin "contamination" added £100,000 a year to its costs and was "one of the biggest risks to the sustainability of the service".

"Education is important here but, ultimately, after warnings, we will stop emptying recycling bins presented by households who persistently do not follow the guidelines on what can and can't be recycled," the council said.

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The most common items incorrectly dumped in blue recycling bins included glass bottles and jars, plastic shopping bags, black waste sacks, food waste and cartons, said the council.

Blue bins will not be emptied if residents continue to put non-recyclable waste in them

The policy will see a sticker will be placed on a contaminated bin with the resident expected to empty the offensive items before the next collection. If they fail to comply, the bin will not be emptied and a second sticker placed on it.

James Mallinder, a Conservative councillor on the authority, said it was "financially better to recycle".

But he added: "We've got to support our environment and use less resources."

Residents interviewed by BBC Radio Suffolk spoke of their concern about the move, with one saying: "Some people don't understand because what you can recycle changes so often.

"They're encouraging people to become lazy and use the black bins."