People in Lichfield and Burntwood will no longer one able to put bagged waste in their blue bins.
The decision comes after an increase in the number of loads being rejected by recycling centres due to contaminated waste.
Lichfield District Council will be putting stickers on blue bins to outline what can and cannot be put in them.
But it says recycling left in clear or carrier bags will now mean blue bins aren’t collected.
Cllr Richard Cox, cabinet member for leisure, parks and waste, said:
“We’re asking everyone to be extra careful about what they put in their recycling bins and not to bag up their blue bin waste.
“Our high recycling rates reflect residents’ hard work sorting their rubbish, but recently we’ve had a number of loads rejected by the recycling centre.
“The environmental impact of one contaminated bin can be huge, as it can cause an entire truckload to be rejected, meaning it all ends up in landfill or being incinerated. It’s also expensive – if the recent pattern continues it could cost us around £250,000 extra a year.
“Most residents are great at recycling, remembering to rinse out food and drink containers and not to bag up recycling. If you do want to use a bin liner in the home, simply tip out the recycling into your blue bin and re-use the bag.
“I hope we can bring our recycling efforts back up to previous standards. It will help our waste and recycling crews, save resources, and help the environment.”
Cllr Richard Cox, Lichfield District Council
To check what can and can’t go in your blue bin, go to www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/bluebins.
