COUNCILLORS have hit out at proposals to launch a tougher stance on people who don’t recycle across Basingstoke and Deane.

As reported by The Gazette on January 15, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s environment chief, Councillor Hayley Eachus, has announced proposals to improve the borough’s lowly 25 per cent recycling rate.

And, in a bid to improve the flagging recycling rate, Cllr Eachus has unveiled a series of initiatives to boost the figure which she hopes will get more residents to think about what they are throwing into each bin.

As part of the proposals, the borough council is set to adopt a “three strikes and you’re out” approach which will see garden waste and recyclable items banned from refuse bins across Basingstoke and Deane.

Amber hangers will be placed on refuse bins which are found to contain recyclable materials on the first and second occasion, but if they are found by crews on a third occasion, a red hanger will be placed on the bin and it will not be collected.

In a bid to educate residents about recycling, letters will also be sent to those who fail to toe the line, and in some cases, a council officer will visit a problem home to find out why those living there are not recycling, and will pass on information on what can and can’t be recycled.

The borough council is also planning to issue new properties built across Basingstoke and Deane with smaller 140-litre refuse bins, and any existing properties wanting a replacement refuse bin will only be issued with the smaller bin.

Residents will also be given the opportunity to purchase a 140-litre bin to recycle their glass instead of crates.

The first 1,000 bins will be given free of charge.

Cllr Jack Cousens, ward member for Brookvale and Kings Furlong, told a meeting of the community, environment and partnerships committee last Wednesday that the council should look further into a combined green and food waste recycling service, adding: “If we are asking people not to put something in the bin, surely we should be pushing them down an avenue where they can recycle that element or distribute it in a different way.

“We are forcing people to pay for that when previously they haven’t had to.”

Labour councillor for Buckskin, Tony Jones, said there were people who couldn’t afford to spend money on green sacks and the borough council should be looking at what council tax should be covering.

But Cllr Eachus defended the plans, telling the meeting: “I do appreciate we need to increase the recycling rate. I am hoping the recommendations go some way to dealing with that. This isn’t trying to punish people; it is trying to work with residents.”

“Basingstoke and Deane incinerates their waste and none of that waste goes to landfill. Incineration is a form of recycling as we are not using up landfill.”

The borough council's Cabinet is set to rubberstamp the new recycling improvement plans at a meeting tomorrow night.