FIFE COUNCIL are facing losing more than £500,000 a year because of recycling bins being contaminated with general waste.

The scheme is supposed to save money, but Fifers misusing the system are causing increased processing charges and lost income because of mixing up the materials collected for recycling. Food waste, nappies and even dog mess have been found in the paper collection, while food and garden waste is being contaminated with glass, plastics and rubble.

Now, the council is warning that continued misuse of the system could lead to significant losses, which could have a knock-on effect for vital services.

Councillor Pat Callaghan, executive spokesperson for environment and transportation, said, “We have a tremendous recycling record. Fife recycles more waste than any other council in Scotland. We also have a fantastic record for providing high quality, contamination free materials from the kerbside recycling bins. This has been down to the way in which the vast majority of Fifers have embraced the recycling services provided by the council.

“In recent years this performance has saved millions of pounds in landfill tax and has also provided a multi-million pound income stream. Without this financial benefit, vital council services would be at risk.

“Unfortunately, over the last few months, we have seen more recycling bins being contaminated, even in areas where we’ve had very few problems in the past. The immediate impact is an increase in costs, because the material has to be processed to remove contamination. It also means reduced income since the value of contaminated material is a lot less than the high quality recyclates that we are used to supplying. Worse still, if the current contamination levels remain, there’s a risk that we might not be able to find buyers for some materials.

“It may be that residents don’t realise the impact that placing the wrong material in the recycling bin can have. Even small amounts of the wrong waste can lead to problems at the processors.” Cllr Callaghan said he believed that people were trying hard to recycle as much as possible, but urged anybody unsure or finding the service difficult to get in touch for advice.

More information can be found at www.fifedirect.org.uk/wasteaware or by phoning 03451 55 00 22.