Cambridge City Council Targets Residents Who Leave Their Bins Out for Too Long

Cambridge City Council Targets Residents Who Leave Their Bins Out for Too Long

Cambridge City Council Targets Residents
Who Leave Their Bins Out for Too Long

Cambridge residents who leave their bins out in the street for too long are being targeted by the council. Local authority bosses plan to put red stickers on the offending bins as part of a campaign to encourage residents to be more thoughtful to others when leaving their bins out. Bins left out on the street become the council’s responsibility, so they have begun to work with their legal team to target areas where people’s bins are causing problems.

The red sticker plans were announced when a change in the law about bins being left on roads and in the street came into force. The Deregulation Act changed leaving your bin out from a criminal matter to a civil matter. An offence is judged to have been committed where the bin is likely to cause a nuisance.

Before the law came into effect, the council would have to enforce the matter by writing to the resident and notifying them that they would be fined if they continued to leave their bin in the street.

As well as placing red stickers on offending bins, the council has reemphasised the rules on bins. They have told residents that:

  • Bins should be placed at the kerbside at 7am on collection day, or if this is not practical or possible, the bins should be put out the night before, but no earlier than 6pm.
  • Residents should put the correct bins out on the correct day, and they should check their bin calendar or online if they’re unsure.
  • Bin lids should be fully closed and there should be no excess rubbish on top or by the side of the bin.
  • Bins must be taken off the pavement as soon as possible after collection
  • Recycling bins must have the correct items in, or they will not be collected.