Do you have the wrong items in your bins? If so, this is classed as contamination.
Bins containing incorrect waste should not be placed out for collection until this waste has been removed.
If our crews notice your bin has been contaminated they will not empty it and will place a tag on your bin to let you know what you need to do - see image for example of bin tag.
How can I make sure my bin is emptied?
To ensure your bin is emptied, you will need to remove the contamination before your next normal collection day.
Failure to do so may result in your property being put under Section 46 notice of the Environmental Protection Act, which means that if you put contaminated bins out in the future, you may face a fine and/or prosecution.
How to deal with bin contamination
If you move into a new property
If you have moved into a property and there is an issue with contamination there are a number of things you can do.
If you're a new council tenant
If you're renting privately
- Please approach your landlord. It is your landlord’s responsibility to ensure that when you move in to the property all your bins are useable.
If you're a landlord
As a landlord, you can pay a charge of £20 per bin for the council to empty your bins.
You will need to advise how many bins need emptying and ensure that they are left accessible for the crew.
As a last resort
- You can report your contaminated bin to Wigan Council and we will empty it on one occasion only. In doing so, we will place the household under Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act, which means that if you put contaminated bins out in the future, you may face a fine and/or prosecution.
- To report a contaminated bin, login or register with MyAccount and select 'Report it'.