Council warns leaving extra bin bags next to wheelie bins could land you with a £100 fine

Householders in Neath Port Talbot who leave additional bin bags at the side of their wheelie bins are being warned they could face enforcement action.

The council’s ‘Excess Waste Restriction Scheme’ has been in effect since April 2019, which means if householders leave extra waste alongside their wheelie bin it will not be collected by crews. One of the council’s excess waste enforcement team will then pay the household a ‘recycling awareness’ visit.

The council is warning that there are a small minority of residents who continue to persistently present excess waste including recyclables, or do not participate at all in recycling in some form.

The previous awareness raising will now start to be replaced by warning letters which in turn may be followed up by a statutory notice setting out how waste must be presented.  If a notice is served on a household and not complied with then the resident can receive a Fixed Penalty Notice of £100 or face prosecution. 

The Welsh Government has set a statutory target to recycle at least 70% of waste by 2025 with further progress to ‘zero waste’ by 2050.  This means that everyone in Wales from private businesses to all householders have a duty to help Wales continue to be a world leader in recycling.

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Engineering Cllr Mike Harvey said: “As an authority we do not want to go down the enforcement route, but for the minority who continue to put out excess waste and/or do not recycle then we may have no choice. 

“Most households are easily able to fit any waste that cannot be recycled into their wheelie bin, or the number of black bags permitted in bag collection areas.  We collect recycling every week and there is no limit on it.  Residents can put out as much recycling as they want and ordering extra recycling kit is easy to do online.  

“There should be nothing presented in wheelie bins or black bags that cannot readily be recycled.  Where residents have the benefit of wheeled bins it is also desirable that all waste is contained within them which avoids any animals being attracted and making a mess.

“If residents recycle all they can and still have large amounts of non-recyclable waste, they can apply for an exemption from the excess waste restriction via our website, and a member of the excess waste enforcement team will consider the application.”

Cllr Harvey added: “The vast majority of Neath Port Talbot residents make full use of the recycling services provided to them at the kerbside, and we thank them for doing their bit for a sustainable future.”

(Lead image: Neath Port Talbot Council)