WHEN bin collections were changed in July, as part of a push to increase recycling rates, council bosses claimed the £1.5million shake-up would save cash and improve its poor record on processing waste.

But some residents in Darwen have called for a return to a simplified service after numerous grey bins were slapped with 'contaminated' stickers, meaning residents face a three-week wait to have their recycling emptied.

Suzanne Halliwell, who lives in Whitehall, Darwen, said: “Dozens of grey recycling bins in my area weren’t emptied for minor indiscretions last week.

“The council’s head of service commented on one of my Facebook posts and said my two bins were contaminated due to a single McDonald's cup.

“This is also happening to elderly and disabled residents who pay for the assisted collections because they can’t move their bins themselves.

“People don’t make mistakes on purpose - a neighbour asked why theirs wasn’t being emptied and was told there was an item in that shouldn’t be.

"So they removed it, but the bin men still refused to take it. What are we going to do with our rubbish for the next three weeks?"

Another Whitehall resident, Christine Southern, said she has noticed the same problem, and the council needed to ‘do the right thing’ and sort their procedures out.

She said: “I contacted the cleansing department after my bin was left full, and was informed that the binmen had reported it as contaminated.

"I forwarded them photos of my bin and four clear bags.

“I then received a reply from the council stating I had to use the clear bags provided by the council and it would be collected in four weeks time.

“So now only Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council clear bags will be taken?

"None were left for me and there wasn’t a ‘contaminated’ sticker left on my bin.

“What is the difference between a clear plastic bag provided by the council and an everyday clear bag?

Julie Slater, Conservative ward councillor for West Pennine on Blackburn with Darwen Council said she had had numerous phone calls from residents in relation to the lack of bin collections due to apparent contamination.

Cllr Slater said: “An elderly lady wrote to me last week and said she’d contacted the council three times about collecting her bin.

"She’s on the assisted collection programme, where bin men will come and help her move her bin to where they can collect it, but nobody has been to help her and her bin remains full.

“I personally haven’t had my grey bin emptied for three weeks. It’s getting beyond a joke.

"Fly-tipping is increasing tremendously and it’s only going to get worse if the council don’t sort out this bin fiasco.

“When we had just the burgundy and the grey bins it made it so much easier, but now there’s blue and brown, and they’re collected on different days and different weeks. It’s a farce.

“Residents pay their council tax for these bins to be collected, some even paying extra for the assisted collection and to not have them emptied is ridiculous.”

In July the council added a third blue wheelie bin for cardboard and paper to its collections, restricting its grey equivalent to glass and plastic - these are now collected every four weeks instead of every fortnight.

Households’ burgundy general rubbish bins are still collected on alternate weeks.

Environment boss at Blackburn with Darwen Council, Cllr Jim Smith said the council were not trying to cause problems for residents but they had a recycling target to meet, set by the government, and if rates didn’t improve the council would be fined.

Cllr Smith said: “It’s not rocket science; it’s common sense.

"The vast majority of bins are emptied, but if there’s one item at the top of a bin contaminating the contents then chances are there’s more items throughout the bin.

“If your bin is contaminated we will provide clear plastic bags, and I will make sure the refuse workers know to do this. Putting items in normal clear bags is fly-tipping - you have to use the council ones.

“We understand there’s confusion but you have to make sure your bin is right - if you’re unsure, put the item in your burgundy bin.”