By Greg Dawson
Kirklees Council had delayed its controversial scheme which confiscates recycling bins that contain non-recyclable waste for three weeks.
This scheme is planned to start again from Monday 17th, in North Kirklees initially.
The policy originally began in April, with council refuse staff leaving a yellow sticker on bins that didn’t contain the correct waste, the sticker stating why the bin was left.
If the warning was ignored the resident’s bin could be confiscated and returned after six months – but only if the resident applied for a return.
Kirklees Council has spent £80,000 on employing 12 advisers to check the contents of resident’s bins.
The council is attempting to increase recycling rates from 27%, which is well below the national average of 45%.
Since it’s introduction the scheme has proven controversial and in some instances has led to council staff being confronted by residents.
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, these incidents include a warning sticker from a bin being stuck on a worker’s head to local homeowners blockading a bin wagon and demanding workers to empty bins left from previous collections.
Kirklees Council has urged people not to abuse its staff.
The council announced on Friday: “Our campaign to improve recycling rates began in Huddersfield and Holme Valley in April and has been a huge success. We’re now moving to the north of Kirklees.
“Due to this campaign and the cooperation of residents, an additional 35 tonnes of waste is now being recycled every week which otherwise would have to be sent to landfill or for burning.
“That’s around five or six full bin wagons. To put that into perspective, that’s the same weight of approximately seven elephants.
“Major improvements have been made in Huddersfield and Holme Valley but we’ve also learnt from the process and will try to be even more effective in the North.”