Changes to the fines levied on English householders who incorrectly manage their rubbish bins have been brought in by Defra today (30 May).
The fines, which are handed out to householders who overfill their bins, don’t recycle or put rubbish out on the wrong day, have been reduced by up to 63 per cent, from between £75 and £110 to between £60 and £80. There is also a new discounted rate of £40 for early payment. A default charge of £60 will apply if councils do not specify the amount of the fixed penalty notice.
The changes in bin fines were first set out in the 2011 Waste Review but have only just come to pass. It was originally hoped the fines would be scrapped altogether, with Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles writing in a column for the Telegraph (February 2012) that the government had “wiped” the bin tax laws from the “statute book” and were “stopping the levying of fines by overzealous bin bureaucrats”.
However, Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman, who announced the changes this morning, outlined that the fines would be reduced rather than scrapped. “The threat of a £110 fine for a simple mistake such as putting your bin out an hour early suggests the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. Today is the first step towards a return to common sense”, said Spelman. “People should be encouraged to do their bit by putting out their rubbish in the right way, but hefty fines are not the way to do it”.
Defra will now be focusing on changing the law so that fines will only be given to householders causing ‘‘harm to local amenity’ by putting out their rubbish in the wrong way and shall be working towards seeing criminal charges for bin infractions phased out. “In addition to the current fixed penalty notice system, criminal sanctions are also currently available under section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA). We intend to remove these criminal sanctions, leaving only civil sanctions available” said Defra. Currently, offenders charged over incorrect waste disposal can be fined up to £1,000 and receive a criminal conviction.
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