Matt Shoul, a resident of Margate, has resorted to bolting his wheelie bins shut after new waste collection rules caused months of missed and delayed bin collections. The new rules, introduced earlier this year under the government's 'Simpler Recycling' requirements, have prompted some people to use neighbours' bins to dispose of their rubbish.
New recycling system causes disruption
Councils across the country, including Thanet District Council (TDC), implemented the new recycling system to meet the government's 'Simpler Recycling' policy. Under the changes, affected homes switched to weekly food waste collections, with fortnightly alternating collections of general waste and recycling.
The disruption has left some households with bins overflowing for weeks. Mr Shoul believes three months of disrupted collections have encouraged people to dump rubbish in their neighbours' bins instead.
Resident takes action
“I bolted my bins shut to stop residents from hijacking them because if they fill my recycling bin with landfill waste, I can’t recycle,” Mr Shoul said. “Likewise, if they fill my black bin with their stuff, I can’t put my rubbish anywhere. So I’ve done it in the hope that they just go somewhere else.”
Mr Shoul says bin collections have become increasingly unreliable, with people sometimes waiting more than a fortnight for their waste to be picked up. “It really beggars belief. Somehow, the schedule has just gone out the window,” he added.
Council response
Thanet cabinet member for cleansing and coastal services Cllr Steve Albon said: "We apologise to all the residents who have been affected. Addressing these issues is our immediate priority, and we are committed to restoring the service levels our residents expect as quickly as possible."
TDC said collections had been disrupted while crews worked through issues arising from the service changes, with periods of extreme heat adding to the challenges.
