Belfast City Council is set to implement a controversial new policy where bins that are overfilled or lined with bin liners will no longer be emptied.
The zero-tolerance approach will be fully enforced from June 23, following a six-week "bedding in" period beginning May 12.
During this transition phase, residents with non-compliant bins will receive amber warning tags but their waste will still be collected.
After June 23, overfilled bins will be issued with red tags and left unemptied.
Overfilled bins may not be collected (file pic)
Getty
The policy was unanimously approved by the council's People and Communities Committee and is expected to be ratified at next month's full council meeting.
The policy comes after serious health and safety concerns were raised following a fatal incident in Coventry in 2023, where refuse collector David Carpenter was crushed to death when his coat became tangled in lifting equipment.
Bin lift manufacturer Terberg/Dennis Eagle has made it clear that emptying bins with open lids runs contrary to their training procedures. The company warned councils that "allow this practice to continue is at the user's risk."
Officials cited concerns about spillages and falling objects from overfilled bins posing safety risks to staff and potentially damaging collection vehicles.
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David Carpenter with his grandson
Family handout
Recently, a Belfast operative was injured when a bin lined with a large bin liner detached from the lifting clamp. Residents have expressed frustration at the new policy, with some mocking it as unnecessary.
"The bins are only collected every two weeks now anyway, so there's every chance there's going to be a little bit of rubbish peaking out of the top," Belfast resident Joe Walsh told BBC Newsline.
"I doubt very much that a small amount of rubbish peaking out of the top of the bin is going to cause them any harm whatsoever," he added.
Another resident was more blunt, describing it as "just another stupid little rule that we have to live by."
On TikTok, user LGBelfastEast posted a video of a broken bin with bags poking out, challenging: "Take that, Belfast City Council, what will you do about that?"
The new system will use amber tags during the initial phase to notify residents of non-compliance without penalty for three collection cycles. From June 23, red tags will be issued and non-compliant bins will not be emptied.
DUP councillor Ruth Brooks, committee chair, defended the policy: "We have a duty to protect our employees. While we rely on bin collections, we cannot do it at the cost of staff safety."
She emphasised: "This isn't a lifestyle choice, and this isn't council just doing this because we can. There is a real risk to our staff."
Green Party councillor Anthony Flynn noted there was "a significant safety concern with overflowing bins particularly" following the Coventry incident.
Green Party councillor Anthony Flynn noted there was "a significant safety concern"
Green Party of Northern Ireland
New vehicles will be fitted with sensors that prevent the lifting of overfilled bins, with the bin lifter cutting out if a raised lid is detected.
The council has already acquired five modified vehicles with 19 more on order, due to arrive by the end of 2026. A survey conducted by the council found that nearly 10 per cent of 6,195 bins examined across Belfast had raised lids.
The survey also revealed that 6.6 per cent of bins were lined with bin liners, with some routes in West and North Belfast showing up to 33 per cent of bins were lined.
Five other councils have already implemented similar policies regarding bin liners.
