In their latest bid to improve recycling figures in Bridgend, Kier Waste Management have started putting stickers on bin bags which they refuse to take.
They say this will pinpoint homes who are not doing their bit and putting out too many bags each fortnight.
Homeowners whose bags have stickers on have been told remove anything recyclable or take it to a refuse facility in their own time, with repeat offenders facing a fine of up to £100.
Freya Sykes runs a sweet shop on Nolton Street in the town centre. She told CJS News: “As a resident in the borough, you put your rubbish out and if it’s not taken by Kier, those bags are then expected to be taken back into flats, taken in for a week, sorted through by the residents.
“That really isn’t going to happen, they’re just going to leave them on the street-side and then you’re going to have foxes, birds, rats going into these bags.
“Litter is going to be everywhere on our streets and that’s not acceptable. It’s a health and hygiene risk.”
In a statement the council said: “It is clear that despite a difficult introduction, the new collections have provided a massive boost to recycling, and are well on their way to achieving what we wanted.
“Now that everyone has had time to get used to the new arrangements, we want to work with those homes that aren’t recycling as much as they could to find out what their issues are.
“We’ll be phasing in the enforcement gradually across all parts of the county borough.”
