38,000 bins uncollected in Walsall due to 'contaminated' waste

It comes as part of the council's controversial zero-tolerance approach to cut the amount of wrong items in green bins, such as food, household waste, nappies and black bags. The bins are checked for items and those that fail go uncollected.

The 38,000 figure is a fall from 60,726 in 2013.

Walsall Council wants to cut the amount of rubbish sent to landfill and said the reduction in uncollected bins shows the message is getting through.

When the crackdown was introduced two years ago, there were almost 50,000 bins not picked up by bin men in just the first four months.

However, council chiefs say things are now improving, with 38,303 'contaminated' bins reported for the while of 2014.

Environment boss, Councillor Lee Jeavons, said reducing costs of sending waste to landfill meant the public got better value for money from their council tax.

"Walsall Council continues to work with residents to try and encourage recycling," he said.

"We are glad the message is still getting through. It is encouraging it is moving in the right direction. One of the most common contaminated things is textiles and clothing.

"We are continuing to encourage people to recycle, if they have any doubts at all they can ring our 'clean and green' hotline. We are more than happy to help them."

Public concerns were raised at the start of the new recycling approach when workers who were dubbed as 'binspectors' began checking green bins for the wrong items and putting on yellow stickers.

The council insisted it had been forced to make a stand after a drop in the recycling rate.

Statistics have shown Walsall residents recycled 49.3 per cent of household waste from April to June, and 46.4 per cent from July to September – compared to 41.1 per cent the year before.

It also emerged last year that families in Walsall had been forced to fork out more than £33,000 replacing bins, despite hundreds being given to some for free.

Householders bought 1,805 bins, costing £18.50 each, from Walsall Council in the last financial year to replace ones which were damaged, stolen or vandalised.

Meanwhile, 843 were exchanged or provided free of charge over the same period of April 2013 and March 2014.

The council said they were provided free on occasions, such as when larger bins are needed due to the size of the household, or if containers are deemed too old.