Bedford Borough Council has revealed that they have issued nearly two dozen Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) at just one mini-recycling location near the town centre.
The site on Old Ford End Road, Queen’s Park has seen 20 FPNs being issued to individuals dumping rubbish since the beginning of the year.
Only specified materials can be collected at mini-recycling sites such as glass bottles and jars, clothes and shoes, with everything put in the bins provided.
“The sites are not provided to collect rubbish, the materials for recycling must go into the correct containers, and nothing should be left on the ground or residents could receive a Fixed Penalty Notice of £400 for fly-tipping,” said a council spokesperson.
They said there has been a growing trend of residents leaving bags of rubbish and bulky waste, which has led to multiple FPNs being issued.
The portfolio holder for environment, highways and transport, Cllr Jim Weir said it was “fantastic that so many people are making use of these mini-recycling sites” but residents couldn’t leave rubbish around the bins.
“We don’t want to be issuing Fixed Penalty Notices but we must try every method we can to deter people from dumping their rubbish incorrectly,” he said.
To combat the issue, the Council has installed CCTV cameras at various mini-recycling sites across Bedford Borough.
If any of the bins at a mini-recycling site are full, Bedford Borough Council is asking residents to report this online or by phone.
Until the bins are emptied, the Council asks residents to take their recycling home or to another site.
A full list of mini-recycling sites can be found at bedford.gov.uk/minirecylingsites. While littering and overflowing/damaged street bins can be reported at bedford.gov.uk/litter.
When visiting mini-recycling sites, residents are reminded:
- To ensure that waste items are correctly sorted before depositing them in the designated recycling bins
- To follow the instructions on the recycling bin.To avoid leaving bags of rubbish or bulky items next to the recycling bins
- Black, orange or green wheelie bins, or a larger capacity bin, can be requested at bedford.gov.uk/requestbins
- If residents have bulky waste, too large for their regular household waste and recycling collections, they can make use of the Bedford Borough Council bulky waste service, learn more at bedford.gov.uk/bulkywaste
- If residents choose to use another waste carrier they should check their licence at gov.uk/find-registered-waste-carrier or by calling 03708 506 506, residents can be fined if a waste carrier illegally dumps their waste
- They can help keep their communities looking their best by reporting any illegally dumped waste at bedford.gov.uk/ReportIt.
For further information or assistance with waste and recycling in Bedford Borough, residents can visit the household bins and recycling section of the Bedford Borough Council website here.
