Waste and Recycling Operational Policy

Introduction

This document sets out the Council's procedures on the delivery of its waste collection and recycling services. The purpose of this document is to provide consistency in the day to day decisions which are made to ensure our waste services operate efficiently and effectively.

This document intends to provide clearly defined and specific procedures which relate to all material matters involved in the collection of waste. A single set of clear and concise rules help to ensure that our customers are informed of the standards of service which they can expect, but also recognises the help customers can provide to the Council in achieving an efficient waste service.

Legislation

The Council has a duty under The Environmental Protection Act 1990, as a Waste Collection Authority, to arrange for the collection of household waste in its area, except waste which is situated at a place which in the opinion of the authority is so isolated that the cost of collecting it would be unreasonably high and to which the authority is satisfied that adequate arrangements for its disposal have been or can be reasonably expected to be made by a person who controls the waste.

The Council also has a duty if requested by the occupier of premises in its area to collect commercial waste from the premises, or to arrange for the collection of the waste.

PROCEDURE 1: FREQUENCY OF COLLECTION

The council will collect household waste (general non recyclable waste), mixed dry recycling and paper and card. Household waste will be collected on an alternate weekly basis in most areas of the Borough and a separate collection of mixed dry recycling and paper and card will be collected monthly. The collection pattern is week 1) paper and card, week 2) household refuse, week 3) mixed dry recycling, week 4) household refuse.

The collection day will normally be the same day of the week for all waste types.

The council will publish its annual collection schedule each year which is made available on our website at 'your waste' and residents can check their bin day.

The time of the day for collection may vary due to road works, vehicle breakdowns or other situations outside of our control.  Therefore, please present your bin(s) positioned safely before 5.30am on your designated collection day or on the evening before your collection.

Customers are asked to return their bins to their property as soon as possible after collection.

During Bank Holiday weeks, collections will usually be carried out on your regular collection day, however, on some occasions collections days may be changed, for example on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Where collection days are changed, we will provide you with this information online and through other means which may include a sticker or tag on your bin where appropriate.

Information about changes to collection days will be advertised on the Council's website and through social media.

As the Borough continues to grow with new housing developments and new businesses, we may need to change collections days from time to time. We aim to write to all those residents who may be affected by such a change, in addition to providing information on our website and through social media. 

PROCEDURE 2: PROVISION OF WHEELED BINS

Under Section 46(4) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Council has specific powers to specify:

• The size and type of the collection bin(s)
• Where the bin(s) must be placed for the purpose of collection and emptying
• The materials or items which may or may not be placed within the bin(s)

Any residents not complying with the Council's requirements may be subject to a Fixed Penalty Notice or other proportionate legal action, or a loss of the collection service.

Households are required to present their waste and separated mixed dry recyclables and paper and card in wheeled bins.  Presentation must be made at the front boundary of their property where it meets the kerbside, known as the curtilage.

All wheeled bins used to contain waste must be provided by the Council.

In circumstances where households are unable to move wheeled bins to the curtilage of the property, due to access restrictions or for health and safety reasons, bags may be made available to these households and can be obtained from our main reception at Boston Borough Council, Municipal Buildings, West Street, Boston, PE21 8QR. Only 1 roll of black residual waste bags and 1 roll of dry recycling bags will be issued every 2 months. When presenting bags for collection there should be no more than 4 bags presented at each time. Bags are not available for paper and card.

A standard 240 litre wheeled bin is provided to the majority of residents.  Other sized wheeled bins may be issued for flats and premises of multiple-occupancy.

Those households who need greater waste capacities than is offered by the 240L bin, may be offered a second wheeled bin. Examples include large families with 6 people or more, or more than 3 children in nappies or adults with large quantities of non-hazardous medical waste.

PROCEDURE 3: CHARGES FOR WHEELED BINS

All requests for wheeled bins must be made to the Council by contacting our Customer Services on 01205 314200. Green bins, blue bins and purple lidded bins will be provided free of charge with the exception of those bins which, in our opinion, are neglected, misused or damaged by the householder, these will be charged for. Customers subscribing to the garden waste service are required to purchase their brown bin (currently £42.40 per bin).

Replacement wheeled bins will be delivered to householders as soon as practicable, usually within 10 working days.

We recommend customers label their bins with their house number/name placed on the front of the bin. Householders are responsible for the safe storage and cleaning of all wheeled bins.

PROCEDURE 4: AUTHORISED BAG SCHEME FOR EXEMPT PROPERTIES

For some properties it is not possible to safely store or keep wheeled bins, this is usually due to lack of space or poor access. Properties that may be exempted from using wheeled bins include:

• Blocks of flats

• Flats above shops

• Properties with no frontage

• Properties with very small front gardens (less than 1 metre deep) that have insufficient space for a wheeled bin

• Properties with a very long drive where it is not efficient for crews to walk to a wheeled bin

• Properties where the Council's vehicle fleet cannot access for any reason

Refuse / recycling sack can be ordered via our main switch board on 01205 314200, at Reception of the Municipal Buildings, West Street, Boston PE21 8QR, or by contacting Environmental Operations. Please be advised delivery can take up to 7 working days. A maximum of 4 blue bags and 4 black bags per collection will be picked up. Any bags presented in addition to this, will be considered excessive waste and it will be the responsibility of the householder to dispose of this waste. Households using bags will not be able to participate in the paper and card service, further information will be provided on how these households will manage their waste in due course.

PROCEDURE 5: PRESENTATION OF REFUSE AND RECYCLABLES

All wheeled bins must be presented at the curtilage (front boundary) of the property, at the point nearest the highway with the handles facing outwards by 5.30am on the appointed day of collection, or on the evening prior to collection.

Wheeled bins must not be stored permanently on the highway, they must be taken back into the property as soon as conveniently possibly after collection.

Residents are advised that it is an offence under Section 137 of the Highway Act 1980 if a person without lawful authority, in any way wilfully obstructs the free passage along a highway. Wheeled bins kept on the highway may give reason for any offence to be caused, it is for this reason that residents are requested to return wheeled bins to their property as soon as possible after the collection.

The Council will not empty any non-Council issued wheeled bins, this is due to us not being able to determine the standard of construction of the bin and / or our bin lifting equipment

Where householders share a driveway, they will be required to present their waste receptacles for collection at the end of the shared drive, at a point nearest to the highway. 

Where any property is located along a 'long-driveway', the householder is required to present their bins for collection at the point nearest to the highway. 

PROCEDURE 6: COLLECTION OF REFUSE

All wheeled bins are liable for inspection before collection. This inspection can be conducted by any authorised officer, however, this is usually the collection crew at the point of collection.

The green refuse bin is for the disposal of all 'non-recyclable' household waste, such as food waste, nappies, plastic carrier bags/black sacks, black plastic food trays, polystyrene and bagged shredded paper. This waste is taken to the Energy from Waste plant (EfW) in North Hykeham where it is incinerated to generate electricity.

The green refuse bin must not contain:

• Batteries
• Oil/Liquid waste
• Garden/yard waste
• Soil
• High grade clinical waste, including sharps
• Tyres
• Hazardous waste
• Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
• Large 'bulky' items. 
• Construction/DIY waste such as bricks, plasterboard; cement, aggregates, and timber. 
• Paint (in liquid form)
• Gas Cylinders

The Council offers a bulky waste collection service, for a small charge, where bulky items of waste which do not fit inside a wheeled bin can be collected.

If any of the above waste types are found in a bin on collection, then crews are required to reject the bin as contaminated. The bin will not be re-collected. At the point of rejecting a bin, the waste becomes the responsibility of the householder. Householders have two options in these situations, 1) remove the contaminated waste types from the bin and re-present the bin for the next scheduled collection; or 2) take the waste to the Household Waste Recycling Centre in Bittern Way, Boston, Lincs, PE21 7RQ for disposal.

Further information on how to dispose of your waste can be found on our website at www.boston.gov.uk

PROCEDURE 7: RECYCLING COLLECTION

The Council's policy requires all households to segregate their waste for recycling purposes.

All blue recycling bins and black/purple lidded bins are liable for inspection prior to collection, to establish that they contain only the designated recyclable materials.

Designated materials in the mixed dry recyclable blue bin include:

• Glass bottles and jars
• Cartons
• Food tins, drinks cans and empty aerosols
• Plastic bottles, tubs, pots and trays

Designated materials in the paper and card black/purple lidded bin include:

• Clean dry paper and card

All recyclable waste must be placed loosely into the blue or the black/purple lidded bin.  The Council provides a detailed recycling guide that is issued to all properties once a year and is available on line at https://www.mybostonuk.com

Contamination within the dry recycling stream is a major concern for authorities in Lincolnshire. The rejection of loads increases our contamination rate and increases the disposal charges. Householders are also reminded that dry recycling is sorted by human hands by people employed in material recycling facilities. Handling contaminated material is a major risk to the health, safety and welfare of people and householders are asked to recognise this risk when disposing of their waste.

Where a recycling bin is contaminated, a sticker or a hanger may be attached to it notifying the resident why it has not been collected and what they must do to get the bin collected on the next scheduled collection. 

The council will not return to collect a contaminated recycling bin rejected for collection, even if the contaminated material has been removed by the householder.  The rejected bin will become the responsibility of the householder. Once the contaminated material has been removed from the bin, the bin should be re-presented for collection on the next scheduled collection. Any additional waste generated during this time should be taken to the Household Waste and Recycling centre.

If a householder continues to present recycling bins containing contaminated material, the Council will take appropriate enforcement action under available legislation.

PROCEDURE 8: REJECTION OF WASTE BINS FOR COLLECTION

The Council will reject bins for collection for the following reasons:

• Bin lid not fully closed

• Wrong bin  presented, e.g. recycling bins presented on refuse week

• Materials not suitable for recycling placed into the recycling bin

• Paper and card in the blue bin

• Other mixed dry recyclable materials in the black/purple lidded bin  

• Refuse bins containing contaminated waste

• Bin too heavy to lift 

• Damaged bins which may cause injury to crews or vehicles

PROCEDURE 9: ASSISTED COLLECTION

Residents who are unable to move their wheeled bins or bags to the collection point, because of ill health, infirmity or disability, and without other occupants in the household able to assist them (16 years and over), will be placed on the 'assisted collection' scheme on request.

Residents who have difficulties moving their bins should contact our customer service team on 01205 314200, they will undertake a simple assessment over the telephone to check the household meets the criteria for an assisted collection.

When an assisted collection has been authorised, it can take up to 5 working days to be implemented. Your assisted collection service may not commence until 5 working days from the date your assisted collection has been granted. If you have a waste collection within the 5 working days, residents will need to put provisions in place to make sure the wheeled bins/bags is presented at the curtilage of the property to ensure collection for that day.

Residents on the assisted collection scheme will have their wheeled bins/bags collected by a  refuse operative from an agreed location, emptied and returned to the same location.

Residents are responsible for ensuring bins are visible to collection crews and that there are no obstructions in accessing the wheeled bins/ bags for collection;

• Gates must be unlocked by 5:30am of the collection day
• Any loose animals must be locked away by 5:30am of the collection day
•  Clear access to the bin must be made for e.g. trip hazards must be removed or cars or any other object blocking access to the bin to be removed by 5:30am of the collection day

If the refuse operative is unable to gain access to the wheeled bin/bags, they will not be emptied/collected until the next scheduled collection.

If the householder's circumstances change, the resident must inform the Council.

The Council will periodically review the assisted collection register.

PROCEDURE 10: PRESENTATION OF SIDE WASTE

Residents are provided one green bin per household for the disposal of refuse, but there are instances where a household can have an additional green bin.  If you have six or more people living in the household or you generate large quantities of non-hazardous medical waste, you can apply for a second green bin.  On request of this application, a visit to the property may be necessary in order to carry out a waste audit.

Side waste up to a maximum of 4 black bags may be placed next to the green bin for collection.  Where side waste is regularly presented or there is an excessive amount of bags, crews will report this on their in-cab technology and the resident will be contacted to carry out a waste audit.

Large household items that do not fit into the green bin must not be placed next to the green bin.  These items will not be collected and can be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centre in Bittern Way, Boston, Lincs, PE21 7RQ for disposal or alternatively contact customer services for a bulky waste collection quote.

There may occasionally be exceptions to the rule where we will accept additional bags and these will be at certain times of the year i.e. at Christmas, New year.

PROCEDURE 11: PRESENTATION OF ADDITIONAL RECYCLABLES

Where insufficient capacity exists to contain all recyclable wastes in the blue bin, the householder may present additional recyclables outside the wheeled bin.  Recycling should be placed into blue recycling bags (available from the council offices) or clear bags.  A maximum of 4 bags can be placed next to the blue bin for collection.

Side waste is not accepted with the black/purple lidded bin.

PROCEDURE 12: PREMISES IN MULTIPLE-OCCUPANCY (HMOs)

The Council's default bin size is 240L, however, where necessary we may supply a larger wheeled bin for refuse and recyclables for HMOs.

The developer/builder/management agent should engage with the council at the earliest opportunity when considering waste management arrangements for their complexes. Larger bins will only be serviced by prior arrangement and after payment of the appropriate fee. Only bins provided by the Council will be emptied.

Where residents of HMOs do not segregate their waste for recycling in an effective manner, the Council will endeavour to educate residents to encourage proper recycling.  However, if these attempts are not successful or where the Council deems these attempts not to be proportionate, then the Council will use its enforcement powers to achieve compliance and improvement in recycling performance.

Where reasonable efforts of the Council fail to improve the quality of recyclables, the Council may remove recycling bins.  The refuse bin will still be collected fortnightly on refuse collection weeks. 

The combined capacity of all refuse bins supplied to HMOs should not exceed 240L multiplied by the number of occupied properties.

The Council will assess the servicing of flats/ mixed properties on an individual basis and cases will be considered on their merits. Property visits and discussions with the relevant management agencies will be carried out where appropriate.

Where contamination is found within the waste on a regular basis, the Council will require the management company / housing association / landlord to, at their own expense, ensure all non-recyclable material is removed prior to the next collection.

It is the responsibility of the property management company / residents to present the bins for collection in compliance with the Councils policy. Where access is not possible due to locked gates etc. or an unrealistic expectation that the Council's crews will collect bins from a point, which has not been agreed, the wheeled bins/bags will not be collected.

Where purpose built bin stores have excess waste blocking access (bags, loose waste, furniture etc.), the collection crew will not clean the area. If it is not possible for the collection crew to collect the wheeled bins/bags, they will be left and it will be the responsibility of the Management Company / residents to dispose of the waste. The Council will not return to re-collect any bins in these circumstances.

Any disposal of wastes by residents or landlords should be carried out in compliance with legislation. If a third party is contracted by a resident / landlord / property company, to remove wastes, then they are reminded that failing to ensure that wastes are transported by an authorised waste carrier, may result in a fine or prosecution.

Where a property is part commercial and part residential - for example a public house with living accommodation above or a shop with living accommodation, councils are entitled to charge for collection of all of the waste. The Council will provide standard capacity (1 x 240 litre refuse bin, 1 x 240 litre recycling bin) for the collection of the household element, but where there are doubts as to the origins of the waste (i.e. where commercial waste is apparent) then the waste will not be collected or a charge will be made.

PROCEDURE 13: MISSED COLLECTIONS

Bins must be presented on the night before the scheduled collection by no later than 5:30am on the day of collection.  If your bin is not presented for collection at the time of  collection, it will be recorded on the in cab system. 

If a bin is recorded on the system as 'not presented', responsibility for disposal will become that of the householder and the Council will not return to collect the bin. 

General waste - Green bin

If a householder has not had their green bin collected but adjacent neighbours have, and if no sticker or tag has been applied to inform the householder that the bin was contaminated, then they should contact the Council on 01205 314200 within 2 days of the missed collection by 2.00pm.  We will then attempt to revisit for collection. If we are unable to recollect on the same day we will attempt to go back within 5 working days. If the Council is not contacted within this time, then no recollection can be made and residents should present their bin at the next scheduled collection.

Mixed dry recycling - Blue bin

If a householder has not had their bin collected but adjacent neighbours have, they should contact the Council on 01205 314200 and we will send recycling bags to the customer. Recycling bins will not be recollected. Recycling bags must not be placed inside the bin but presented at the side of the bin.

If your bin has been reported as contaminated, the contamination must be removed by the resident prior to the next scheduled collection. If requested, the Council will send recycling bags which should be presented at the side of (maximum of 4 bags per collection).

Paper and card - Black/purple-lidded bin

If a householder has not had their bin collected but adjacent neighbours have, and if no sticker or tag has been applied to inform the householder that the bin was contaminated, they should contact the Council on 01205 314200 within 2 days of the missed collection by 2.00pm.  We will then attempt to revisit for collection. If we are unable to recollect on the same day we will attempt to go back within 5 working days. If the Council is not contacted within this time, then no recollection can be made and residents should present their bin at the next scheduled collection. Side waste will not be accepted with your black/purple lidded bin.

If your bin has been reported as contaminated, the resident must remove the contamination prior to the next scheduled collection.

Garden waste - Brown bin

If a householder has not had their bin collected and adjacent neighbours have, they should contact the Council on 01205 314200 within 2 days of the missed collection by 2.00pm. We will then attempt to revisit for collection as long as there are no issues reported by our crew, such as the bin not being presented. If we are unable to recollect on the same day we will attempt to go back within 5 working days.  

We do not collect any additional side waste for garden waste.

Parked cars blocking roads leading to non-collection of wheeled bins

Where there is one or more cars parked in a manner which blocks access by our vehicles to collect bins, then the council will attempt to return the same day and re-collect.  Where we are unable to re-collect on the same day, these will be added to our re-collection round and emptied as soon as operationally possible. 

The Councils crews will record the vehicles registration number, make, model, and evidence with a photo.  If the same vehicle is reported more than 3 times to be blocking a road, the vehicles information will be passed through to the Enforcement Team who will take enforcement action including issuing a Community Protection Notice Warning to the registered keeper.

When we are unable to access a road due to road works

It may not be possible for our refuse vehicles to collect from highways where road works are in place. This can generate complaints to the Council as it may be possible for some vehicles, such as cars, to access such a road. However, our vehicles are Large Goods Vehicles and our Driver is authorised to determine whether a collection is made given their duty to operate their vehicle safely. We will endeavour to liaise with the Highway Authority wherever possible for pre-determined collection times. We will assess these areas to ensure prompt recollection is made as soon as possible.  We will take up to four bags additional side waste for both general waste and recycling in these circumstances.

PROCEDURE 14: WHEELED BIN LOST IN COLLECTION VEHICLE

Customers are advised to check their bin after collection and any damage should be reported to the Council within 2 working days.

Where a bin is lost or damaged in the back of a collection vehicle, a note will be made by the crew on our in cab system and the Council will arrange a replacement bin to be delivered free of charge, as soon as possible.

In order to prevent confusion over missing or stolen bins, we strongly recommend that you put your property name or number on all your bins. This needs to be on the front of the bin, e.g. opposite side to the handles, so that it is easily visible to the crew on emptying through our CCTV cameras.  This also ensures that in the event of a bin going into the back of the collection vehicle the operatives are able to confirm which household it belongs to and record these details accurately on our systems to avoid any delays in replacing your bins.

PROCEDURE 15: STOLEN / VANDALISED WHEELED BINS

Resident are asked to take reasonable care in looking after bins. Should a resident report their bin as vandalised, damaged or stolen, they should do so as soon as possible so that a replacement bin can be sent.

We would strongly recommend that all bins have you house name or number on them.

PROCEDURE 16:  PROVISION OF WHEELED BINS TO NEW DWELLINGS

The Council will provide wheeled bins to new dwellings upon receipt of the necessary payment from the developer. The minimum requirement is for a green and blue bin, with the garden waste bin being optional.

The property developer should contact Environmental Operations regarding new developments in order that adequate and suitable storage is identified.

PROCEDURE 17: CLINICAL AND MEDICAL WASTE PROVISIONS

Hazardous Clinical Waste - Needles

Boston Borough Council provide a collection point for residents for the disposal of used needles (sharps) at Municipal Buildings, West Street, Boston, PE21 8QR at main reception.

All needles must be contained in a sealed yellow sharps box which are usually provided with prescribed medication  Any needles that are not in the appropriate container will not be accepted.

All Health Care professionals are responsible for the disposal of their own sharps and will not be accepted at reception.

Non-Hazardous Clinical / Medical Waste

Most types of low grade clinical waste, such as bandages, dressings, drainage bags, colostomy bags and incontinence pads are classed as low grade (non-hazardous) and can be disposed of along with your normal domestic refuse, and placed within your green bin   Where there is excess clinical waste a second green bin will be provided.  Customer services will determine over the phone whether the person is eligible for a clinical waste collection. 

PROCEDURE 18: BULKY WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES

The Council provides a bulky waste collection service for large household items such as:

• Table & chairs

• Washing machines

• Dishwashers

• Carpets

• Mattresses

• Suites

• Beds

• Wardrobes

• Cookers etc. 

• Fridge/freezers

There is a charge for this service, see 'bulky waste collections' for current charges.  Prices are only a guideline and subject to amendment depending on the size and weight of certain objects.

We do work on an area system, so to give you an idea of what likely day your items will be collected please see below:

Tuesday - Town (chain bridge to Burton roundabout to Whitehouse Lane and back).

Wednesday - South side (Wyberton, Frampton, Kirton, Sutterton, Swineshead, Wigtoft, Fosdyke and Bicker).

Thursday - North side (all roads north of Rochford Tower Lane/Church Green Road, Fishtoft, Butterwick, Freiston, Bennington, Leverton, Old Leake and Wrangle.

We cannot collect building materials, asbestos, hazardous waste or medical waste.

If you wish to cancel your bulky collection and obtain a refund, you need to let us know at least 2 working days prior to your collection day. We are unable to provide refunds for any cancellations made after this time. Only full refunds will be given, we do not part refund.

Please note that we are not insured to collect items from the inside of properties. For this reason we ask that all items for collection should be placed at the front of the property the night before or by 05:30am on the day of collection.

If your bulky collection is noted by the refuse crew as not out when they visit your property we will not come back for the item(s) and you will need to pay again for a recollection.

PROCEDURE 19: GARDEN WASTE COLLECTIONS

A separate, chargeable service for the collection of green garden waste is available to householders. Information on how to subscribe and terms and conditions can be accessed on our garden waste webpage or by calling Customer Services on 01205 314200.

Garden waste is not permitted in the residual or recycling waste wheeled bins/bags and will not be collected. Householders who do not subscribe to the service must make arrangements to dispose of their own garden waste either by composting or at a Household Waste Recycling Centre.

For paid subscribers to the service, garden waste will be collected from April to November and then resume in February until end of March and bins are collected fortnightly.

The charge for this service is set by the prevailing policy agreed by Cabinet, currently £50 for the first bin and £30 for subsequent bins and £42.40 to purchase a bin.

There is no limit to the number of garden waste wheeled bins a householder may purchase.

It is possible to opt-out of the scheme once joined but no refunds will be given under any circumstances; householders are not required to return the wheeled bin to the Council.

Where householders wish to subscribe, there will be a charge for the purchase and delivery of a garden waste bin.

If you move to another address in the Boston Borough area, you can take your brown bin(s) with you.  To ensure that your collections continue you must contact us to transfer the service to your new address.

We will not provide a service to your new address in any circumstances unless you notify us of your change of address. You should notify us by emailing our Garden Waste team or by calling 01205 314200.

PROCEDURE 20: COMMERCIAL WASTE COLLECTIONS

A commercial waste and recycling collection service is offered to businesses in Boston Borough

The service is to be available to all schools, parish, church and village halls as well as shops and businesses of all sizes.

The service is available at an agreed charge, based on frequency, numbers of bins and number of collections.

The collections, where possible, will be co-mingled with domestically generated waste but may, where required by frequency of collection, be collected by a separate, designated vehicle.

The service will be based on wheeled bin collections but will be customer focused in that bag collections may be available to those customers with insufficient storage capacity for wheeled bins.

Waste generated from residential premises being used for business purposes, where there is a requirement for planning permission for such use, will be dealt with as commercial waste.

For more information regarding commercial waste please contact 01205 314200 or email our commercial waste team.

PROCEDURE 21: NON-DOMESTIC PROPERTIES (VILLAGE HALLS, CHARITIES, CARAVAN SITES ETC)

The Council will provide and empty, a set of bins, comprising of 1 x 240 litre refuse bin and 1 x 240 recycling bin fortnightly for free to; Village Halls; Community Centres; places of worship and any halls attached. Anything over and above will be charged at the current commercial waste collection rates.

The Council will also charge in instances where the predominant activity on such premises is commercial in nature, i.e. operated to generate a profit, such as pre-school/child-minding or private fitness/slimming classes. 

Premises occupied by charities, but which are not charity shops, will be charged for collection and disposal of waste as charities are classified as producers of commercial waste. Charity shops selling donated items originating from a domestic property will be charged at current commercial waste collection rates.

Waste generated from a self-catering holiday accommodation or caravan or camping site is classed as commercial waste. Any accommodation on these sites classed as a main residence and paying council tax are eligible for a 1 x 240L Refuse, 1 x 240L Recycling and 1 x 240L paper and card bin for fortnightly household waste collections and monthly recycling collections. Bins need to be presented to the nearest public highway as refuse vehicles are not permitted to enter the sites.

Waste generated from residential premises being used for business purposes, where there is a requirement for planning permission for such use, will be dealt with as commercial waste.

Premises such as public houses which are also used as domestic residential accommodation will be issued with a 1 x 240 litre refuse bin, 1 x 240 litre recycling bin and 1 x 240 litre paper and card bin for the purpose of the domestic residential accommodation only. Waste created from the business itself will require a commercial waste agreement

PROCEDURE 22: EDUCATION AND ENFORCEMENT

The Council prefers an educational approach to help residents understand their role and responsibility to improve recycling in Lincolnshire.

All waste must be presented in Council approved receptacles to ensure it can be

safely collected from the kerbside (or a position agreed by the Council).

The Council will reject for collection, refuse and recyclables receptacles for the following reasons:

1. Overloaded wheeled bins (by weight and volume)
2. Wrong receptacle presented e.g. recycling wheeled bins presented on refuse week, or paper and card bin presented on a mixed dry recycling week.
3. Wheeled bin is too heavy to lift, due to containing heavy waste e.g. construction, DIY or soil waste.
4. Contamination of recyclable materials.
5. Garden waste in residual collection (green wheeled bin).
6. Paper and card in the blue mixed dry recycling bin
7. Mixed dry recycling materials in the paper and card bin

Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 allows the Council to issue a fixed penalty notice to those residents who repeatedly contaminate their recycling. 

Recycling bins containing contaminated items such as nappies, food waste, needles, dog poo, black bags, thin plastics, builders waste, tyres, carpet, cat litter, metal, rubble, sanitary products, electrical items, polystyrene, clothing, cigarette butts and wood will not be emptied.

On the first occasion of contamination, a hanger will be left on the bin explaining why the bin has not been emptied.  The crew will log the address and incident type on it's in cab system

On the second occasion of contamination, a report is sent to our Enforcement Partners who will send an Enforcement Officer to visit the property to ascertain necessary details and then issue a Section 46 warning notice.  They will also give information about what can be recycled and what is needed to do in order to get the contaminated bin emptied.

On a third contamination occasion, the resident will be issued with a fixed penalty notice.

Section 43 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 allows the Council to issue a Community Protection Warning and Community Protection Notice to registered keepers of vehicles where vehicles are continually obstructing waste collections.

On the first occasion the vehicles registration will be recorded on our in cab system, with further details including  the date, time and photo and a letter will be left on the vehicle's window screen explaining not to park blocking access for waste collections.  On a second attempt to re-collect, if the same vehicle is still blocking access, this will again be recorded.  If the same vehicle is reported for a third time, a search of the DVLA system will be completed and a Community Protection Warning (CPW) will be issued to the registered keeper.  The CPW is a formal notification to the registered keeper to tell them not to park their vehicle in a position where it blocks access and that they must do this straight away and to continue conforming to the notice to avoid further consequence.

If a registered keeper of a vehicle does not adhere to the notice and the problem has not been put right within the timescales given, then the CPW has been breached.

A Community Protection Notice (CPN) will then be issued outlining the same actions that must be met within a new timescale.  If the CPN is breached, the council will make a decision to either issue a fixed penalty notice or to prosecute the registered keeper at a Magistrates Court.

PROCEDURE 23: SEVERE WEATHER

The Council will try to maintain services during severe weather such as in snow or ice, or floods. However, on occasion collections will be disrupted by severe weather conditions. Where this occurs, the Council will use its website to advise customers on what we are proposing to do and how residents can have bins collected.

Bulky waste collections may be suspended to maintain main services depending on the duration of the severe weather event.

PROCEDURE 24: Collections from Unadopted Highways

The Council's policy is that wheeled bins should be presented at the kerbside for collection. The kerbside refers to the collection of household waste from the nearest adopted road. The criteria collecting waste and recycling containers from unadopted roads are set out below. 'Unadopted' roads are those roads not maintained by a highway authority as defined by Highways Act 1980.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 allows the Council to specify where receptacles should be placed for collection.

There are currently a number of households, mainly in the rural areas, which receive a recycling (food waste, garden waste or recyclables) or refuse service that requires collection vehicles to travel along unadopted roads and tracks. In some cases, these are in poor condition and consequently access can be difficult and potentially hazardous. This practice is to be avoided.

Where bins are presented on unadopted roads for collection, the Council's designated Officer will determine on a case by case basis, whether collections can be accommodated, taking into account access, the safety of collections, the standard of roadways and the costs of collection. Arrangements will always be sought with householders or property owners, however, the Council reserves the right not to collect from unadopted highways.

PROCEDURE 25: DATA PROTECTION

A register of processing activities is held in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. Any personal data that is held by us will be processed in accordance with our privacy notice.

The General Data Protection Regulation requires us to have a process in place to ensure that we respond to individual rights such as subject access requests, requests for rectification and request for erasure without undue delay and within one month of receipt. The information that we provide to an individual will be in a concise, transparent, intelligible and easily accessible form, using clear and plain language.