Scarborough residents facing court action after refusing to recycle properly
November 12, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Many people in the UK believe that recycling is a bit of an inconvenience. It is all too easy to become lazy and chuck your newspaper and empty beer can in the normal waste bin. Whilst you may think that no harm will come from behaviour such as this, you could actually get into a lot of trouble. The local council in Scarborough has revealed that dozens of people in the local area are currently facing court action after ignoring basic recycling rules and regulations.
One of the most extreme cases described by the council involves a resident who placed his car engine in his blue household recycling bin whilst numerous other residents have tried to recycle needles. The council’s recycling development officer, Harry Briggs, believes that placing needles in recycling bins is dangerous and is a problem which needs to be tackled. Fines of up to £100 have been handed out to residents who have contaminated their bins by putting in the wrong kinds of rubbish. For individuals facing court action the maximum penalty is £1000.
Scarborough as a region has tried hard to improve its recycling reputation. A multi-million pound plant located at Seamer Carr has recently started to collect and sort the borough’s waste. It is now responsible for sending the waste to various places across the world to be properly recycled. Harry Briggs is happy that Scarborough is now recycling 35% of its waste but this figure needs to increase if the borough is to reach its target of 40% by 2010. The council is hopeful that a new focus upon recycling glass will help this goal become a reality.
