Bassetlaw District Council warns bins with lids up will not be collected over concerns they cause an increase in littering and can injure refuse collectors

From February, the local authority will operate its Flat Lid and No Side Waste Policy when collecting household waste from the kerbside.

This means that if any household or recycling bins have raised lids or are overloaded, they will not be collected and will have a red warning sticker placed on them.

Additional waste placed beside a bin will also not be collected.

Council bosses said bins with lids open can lead to waste littering streets, refuse staff being injured by manoeuvring overloaded bins, or by being hit by lids blowing into staff on blustery days, and compromising the safety of the loading equipment if the bin weighs more than the recommended weight.

Cabinet member for neighbourhoods at Bassetlaw District Council said: “We have always operated a flat lid policy but believe the time is right to be more pro-active and encourage residents to think more about how much waste they generate and how they can dispose of this waste.

“There are lots of ways that you can avoid overloading your bins; for example, by ensuring that you place the correct items in your recycling bin, taking all of your glass to a number of recycling sites across the district, and by taking larger items to the household waste recycling centres.

“We understand that this is an emotive subject for residents and believe that the majority of households will already be doing what they can to reduce, reuse and recycle.”

Throughout January, the council has been placing yellow warning stickers on overloaded bins to advise residents that bins with raised lids will not be collected from February 1.

The Labour-controlled council is encouraging residents to recycle as much as they can through kerb side collections and recycling centres.

Any bin not collected can be put out for collection again as part of their regular cycle and will be emptied should the lid be in a closed position.

Conservative councillor, Gerald Bowers, who represents the Ranskill ward, said: “A Conservative-controlled council will deal with your waste disposal efficiently.

"We will not create problems for residents.”