RESIDENTS who have their green bins confiscated as part of a crackdown on recycling will NOT have to pay a fee to have them returned.

Kirklees Council revealed last week that it had seized more than 1,300 bins since April 1 when advisers began checking contents for non-recyclable waste.

Working alongside bin crews, advisers have been active in South Kirklees since April and have now shifted their focus to North Kirklees – including the Spen Valley – from May 27.

The council described the removal of green bins as “a last resort”.

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The crackdown has proved unpopular with some residents. However others have backed the council’s stance.

The authority introduced a more robust approach to recycling as part of a move towards driving up its recycling rates.

It says the scheme has had “a tremendous amount of success” leading to the recycling of 45-85 additional tonnes of green waste every week in Huddersfield – up to 17 full bin lorries.

Residents who have contaminated their green waste with non-recyclable rubbish receive a yellow warning sticker on their bin from an adviser. If their bin contains wrong items on a second occasion their bin is seized and taken to a town centre waste depot. They can apply to have the bin returned after six months.

Twelve advisers have been hired on temporary contracts until July at a cost of £80,000.

Clr Naheed Mather, the council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “The campaign we have run has proved successful in the south of the borough and we are taking stock, and seeing what we need to change to ensure that we have an even greater impact in the north.

“Unfortunately, there is a minority of people who use their recycling bin as an additional household waste bin.”

In Kirklees the following can be put in a green bin:

  • Aerosols
  • Bottle tops and lids – metal only, not plastic
  • Cans
  • Cardboard
  • Envelopes with stamps
  • Greetings cards
  • Paper (but not shredded paper)
  • Photographs (digitally printed)
  • Plastic bottles (clean)
  • Metal tins

The following CANNOT be put in a green bin:

  • Drinks and food cartons, Tetrapaks
  • Foil
  • Glass
  • Hard plastics
  • Light bulbs
  • Metal pots and pans
  • Photographs (old)
  • Plastic netting, plant pots, sheeting, trays
  • Scrap metals
  • Toothpaste tubes
  • Tyres
  • Wallpaper
  • White goods
  • Wrapping paper