Army of bin inspectors - to rake through your rubbish! trends now
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New laws punishing Scots who mix up their recycling are set to be policed by an army of specially trained bin collectors.
Local authority binmen will not only uplift containers full of rubbish and recycling – they will also report households who put items in the wrong bins.
Legislation now passing through Holyrood will give extra powers to councils to fine residents who break the rules, for example by putting empty bottles or hedge trimmings into a general waste bin.
Ministers want to tackle the problem of ‘contaminated’ waste, where tons of potentially recyclable material is too mixed up with non-recyclable items to be effectively sorted – and so ends up in landfill.
With the laws soon to be finalised by MSPs, new guidance is also being drawn up outlining the ‘reasonable enforcement’ local authorities should use against people whose bins are filled incorrectly.
Households who put rubbish in the wrong bins could be hit with a fine under legislation now passing through Holyrood
It is understood a step-by-step process will see householders issued with a warning letter, then fines and the threat of prosecution.
Last week councils said they would await the introduction of the new laws before deciding how to
