Contaminated bins in West Lothian will no longer be collected

And the council's message is clear – if your bin is contaminated, your rubbish will not be collected.

West Lothian Council has stopped collecting bins that are contaminated in an effort to increase the amount of waste that is recycled and is appealing to residents for their support in tackling the problem. Other councils in Scotland have already adopted this approach.

A transition period has been ongoing for several months where the council has continued to lift contaminated bins but left tags on them, advising the householder of the planned changes.

Now, the bins will not be collected until the contamination is removed, and the bin is represented at the next collection cycle with the correct material only. Customers who continually contaminate the bins will receive a letter from the council advising them of the issue and giving further advice.

Tom Conn, executive councillor for environment, said: “We are extremely grateful to the large numbers of householders that take time to ensure that they recycle properly and place the right items into the right bins.

“We appreciate that this is a change for some households but this is a huge issue for West Lothian. We must all change our behaviour and we all have an important role to play in recycling more and helping the environment.

“It will also save the council money as less will be spent on landfill fees. This will ensure the savings can be better spent in the community.”