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Print articleOne 240-litre green recycling bin clearly stamped with the city council's name was even spotted in a residential area near the Black Sea resort of Sunny Beach in Bulgaria.
Mike Heath, City Services director, said:
?This is the most outrageous example of theft of a wheeled bin we have come across. We have distributed close to 200,000 black, green and brown wheeled bins to local homes and these bins remain council property.
?The city council and, ultimately, council tax payers have spent a considerable amount to date on replacing stolen and damaged bins. Many householders simply leave their bins in the street, making no attempt to secure them while assuming that the council will simply replace any that are stolen or damaged.
?People who take or damage bins irreparably risk being prosecuted. However, householders must accept responsibility for their security. Incidents like this justify further support for our consideration of the introduction of a charge to householders for the cost of replacing bins.?
Over the past year 2,515 bins have had to be replaced at a cost of ?30 per bin, including delivery costs. In some cases, bins have been misappropriated as improvised wheelbarrows for moving building and gardening materials. Arsonists have set fire to them and it is suspected that some people have stolen bins from their neighbours simply to increase their own waste disposal options.
In cases of arson or theft householders will have to look at claiming the replacement costs on their own home insurance as Peterborough City Council can no longer bear the ever increasing costs of replacement, which ultimately are being picked up by local tax payers.
In another incident, CCTV operators spotted three youths dragging heavily-loaded wheeled bins across a field at the rear of a community centre at Hampton Court in Westwood, Peterborough, at 3.49 am. Police who gave chase issued a reprimand to one youth after discovering the bins contained stolen lead.
Clearly this is a case of 'repurposing recycling'.
