A COUNCIL has hit out at residents for mucking up its recycling bins.

Thurrock Council says those people who are putting food waste into its blue recycling bins could cost them as much as £200,000 in fines from its waste contractor.

Council cabinet member for waste and recycling, Yash Gupta, said: “ We have a serious problem with contamination in the blue bin.

“The council has to pay the contractor to remove and dispose of this contamination. If things continue as they are, we and the residents of Thurrock will be facing a bill in the region of £200,000 for this year alone – well over £1 for every man, woman and child living in the borough.

“This is also money that will have to be taken from other important services such as street cleaning or parks.”

The council is urging residents to check which items can go in the blue bins and also to put all the items straight in the bin and not in bags.

The items that can be recycled in the blue bin are paper, cardboard, metal food and drink cans, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, plastic food trays and yoghurt pots.

For more information go online to www.thurrock.gov.uk/waste