Lost wheelie bin? Then pay for it
Families who lose their wheelie bins will soon be expected to shell out for a replacement, under proposals being considered by Sandwell Council.
Bosses at the authority are considering charging people when their bin is stolen or lost, after a new report revealed that the cash-strapped authority had to pay more than £100,000 last year to replace bins.
If the scheme goes ahead, residents will be charged up to £39 each time they have to replace a lost or stolen wheelie bin. Last year 9,065 were lost or stolen and a further 2,550 damaged.
The charge would not apply to replacement requests where the bin is damaged.
A report compiled by officers, which is due to be presented to the council's highways and environment committee on Thursday, said: "The number of requests, over the last three years, from residents for replacement wheeled bins as a result of the bin stated as being lost or stolen is causing concern to the council.
"Evidence from other councils suggests that where a replacement charge is not used, residents tend to take less personal responsibility for the bins issued to them. Therefore, it is proposed to introduce a pricing mechanism, to control the number of bins replaced by the council."
Should a resident lose or have their grey refuse bin stolen they would have to pay up to £17 depending on the size of the bin.
If they lose the blue-lidded recycling bin they could pay £39.37 and for the loss or theft of a green garden bin they would be expected to pay nearly £18 for each replacement every time.
The resident would also be liable to pay a £5 delivery charge.
The council also said the decision to charge for a replacement bin may be reviewed on a case by case basis.
