South Kesteven District Councillor leader apologises over 'bingate'
Around a quarter of bins were not collected last month
Last updated 4th Mar 2024
South Kesteven District Council Leader Ashley Baxter (Independent) has apologised over the latest “bingate,” involving the new purple lid dry cardboard and paper recycling collections in the district.
Recent statistics reveal that approximately 7,000 silver mixed dry recycling bins were not collected on Monday, February 19, and Tuesday, February 20, representing 20% to 25% of the total collections on those days.
Outrage spread amongst thousands of district residents when they discovered their bins adorned with the now-infamous “tags of shame” and left uncollected.
Waste operatives and call-handling staff also faced abuse, intimidation, and threatening behaviour, which the council said are “unacceptable.”
That’s why the council has now decided to stop rejecting contaminated recycling bins, giving people extra time to adapt to the new scheme.
Conservative MP Michael Gove, Secretary for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, has also stepped in, calling on Councillor Baxter to extend a formal apology to the residents impacted by the situation.
“South Kesteven District Council has had great Conservative representation in the past, but I am concerned about Ashley Baxter, the Independent leader, that the bingate scandal still hasn’t had an appropriate answer or apology,” said Gove in a video shared on X.
“I support good local government, whatever the party that is in charge. But the people of South Kesteven need answers, I suspect they need an apology – Ashley, over to you.”
Despite his reluctance to issue what he considered an “extorted” apology, Councillor Baxter, during a Full Council meeting on Thursday, conceded that he was prepared to apologise to residents who had properly separated their waste yet still experienced bin rejections.
“To any of those people who had bins rejected for whatever reason, I apologise,” he said.
The Independent councillor later clarified that he refused to apologise to residents found to be contaminating their recycling bins with inappropriate items, such as dirty nappies, which he explained have never been accepted in recycling bins.
“Those bins should have been rejected,” he continued, urging fellow councillors to remind residents about the importance of sorting their waste into the appropriate bins.