Recycling bin ‘tags of shame’ arrive in East Lindsey too

Advisory tags will be placed on recycling bins across the East Lindsey district from today, as part of a Lincolnshire-wide campaign to put the right thing in the right bin.

A purple-lidded recycling bin, designed to accept dry and clean paper and card, will be arriving in East Lindsey soon – and with it comes the much-discussed advisory tags.

These tags go on the handle of your bin if it contains something it shouldn’t. They have been a topic of controversy across Lincolnshire in recent times, though the idea is simply to ensure the correct items end up in the relevant bin.

The advisory tags began in North Kesteven, where the district council introduced green tags on recycling bins alongside the rollout of purple bins for dry, clean paper and card in 2021.

Green bins (North Kesteven) were left with ‘tags of shame’. | Photos: Darren Cook and James Stout

It was a rocky start for the scheme, with more than 9,000 bins being rejected in North Kesteven in one week alone – as many residents tried to get used to the new rules regarding placement of rubbish in specific bins.

West Lindsey District Council also began using the advisory tags earlier this year, and praised the “brilliant” response of the residents as reminders were issued as to what goes in which recycling bin.

Residents are given advisory tags when they put an ineligible item in their recycling bin. | Photo: Lizzie Bell

However, some residents described the tags as work of the “bin police”. The Lincolnite looked into a local issue in Dunholme in May, where around 40 people were left wondering why their bins hadn’t been emptied.

It is now the turn of East Lindsey District Council, covering areas such as Skegness, Horncastle, Woodhall Spa and Louth, as a message was issued over the weekend to say that purple bins would be arriving “soon”.

ELDC said on Monday: “Today we have begun to put advisory tags on recycling bins that contain the wrong items to help engage with and educate our residents about putting the right thing in the right bin. These tags are to help us to help you!”

The purple-lidded bins are being rolled out across Lincolnshire. | Photo: Boston Borough Council

This makes ELDC the fourth Lincolnshire council to adopt the twin recycling scheme, following on from Boston Borough Council, North Kesteven District Council and West Lindsey District Council.

It is anticipated that the whole of Lincolnshire will be using purple recycling bins by 2024, as more trial periods across the county continue to prove successful over time.