Households using black bin liners issued warning | UK | News
Households across the UK have been issued with a warning about using black bin bags with garden waste and recycling bins.
There are strict rules about what you can and cannot put in different waste bins, but households may not be aware that using black bin liners is a problem. Waste experts warn households not to fill garden waste or recycling bins with black bin bags; because these bags cannot be processed and are a form of contamination. Bags are difficult to identify by sorting machines and can clog the machine, making them fall on the list of non-recyclable items.
Households found using black bins for garden waste or recycling bins may be fined by the local council and their bins may be refused collection.
Ali Ligee, waste management expert Garbage.comHe said garden waste bugs spike at this time of year, just before councils pause or reduce collections for the winter.
Lijee warned: “People rush to clean up their gardens before the service is finished and end up throwing all kinds of things into the wrong bin. Soil, stones, plastic containers, even food, these can all contaminate green waste and cause entire truckloads to be rejected.”
“Although most local authorities issue warnings first, repeat offenders can be fined or their bins left uncollected. This is a time of year when a bit of due diligence is really important. A few common mistakes can easily cost you dearly.”
“Plastic bags are one of the biggest culprits. People think lining garden bins will make the garden cleaner, but these bags cannot be processed and often choke composting equipment.”
Garden waste should be thrown directly into the bin or wrapped in compostable packaging approved by your local council.
Using black bin liners or standard plastic bags can turn a perfectly good bin load into contaminated waste and, if caught, result in households receiving warnings or fines for misuse. Some municipalities make it clear that bins with visible plastic contamination will be refused collection.
Lijee added: “It’s frustrating to spend hours clearing leaves. But it’s not the crew’s fault. When one bag breaks, the entire load is ruined.”
