York and North Yorkshire councils have admitted raiding peoples rubbish bins without consent?

Question

60 homes in York and further homes in every region of North Yorkshire have had their dustbins raided to see what they are throwing away.

The council said no warning was given as they know people change their habits when they do (so they have done this before?)

As rubbish is collected every week is this really a cerdible point?

How would you feel if your council inspected your rubbish?

Answer 1

I think its a waste of time and resources!!!  

What do York Council think they will achieve by doing this????

I don't recall them ever doing it before though.  

With money wasting activites like this, its not surprising other areas of funding are suffering.

Answer 2

I would make sure I put plenty of used cat litter or fish guts in the bin if they started to do that round here.  It's outrageous to go through someone's rubbish.

Answer 3

Yes, they finally admitted this last week. This is a gross invasion of privacy! They really are grasping, greedy people who are acting like commisars and not public servants. Never mind, local council elections will see them off, we are all disgusted especially as we are so good at recycling in our area and voluntarily!

Answer 4

Once household rubbish is placed in a bin provided by the local council it becomes the property of that council. The householder has abandoned it and relinquished ownership. A council can do anything it likes with their own property. An outside party removing anything from a council owned bin or dump is committing theft.

Answer 5

I'm pleased to hear that you have found something that the councils could be good at.

Answer 6

I recycle everything my local council will take. The only things I throw away are non-recyclables, food scraps and used cat litter. If they want to trawl through all of that then good luck to them.

Answer 7

d**n....will have to find another way to dispose of the bodies...

I suppose they want to see the percentage of recycling being performed by typical households. That way the get a insight into how successful or unsuccessful their recycling promotion is.

I live in Derbyshire and my rubbish is collected every two weeks, so they are welcome to go digging in my rubbish, have to say not really a fun job to have.

It really all depends what they are going to use this information for. If it was to fine people not recycling, I would have some objections. Especially since I know that some people throw things into my bin because my bin is usually relatively empty

Answer 8

Surely this is against the law, did they give any explanation as to why they are doing this. If it was for the purposes of making peoples lives safer by checking for credit card statements with details on etc then it would be justified, but I'm sure that they are just doing it to see what you are chucking and to try and fine you for putting certain things in the bin.

Answer 9

The general public is ignorant of just how much we are snooped upon by the authorities!

Some years ago one morning as I drew back the curtains I saw a vehicle stop opposite my home & a man got out of the front passenger seat, crossed the road & picked up my bag of rubbish & took it away!

I rang the council who denied knowing anything about!

Some time later it became public knowledge that this practice of snooping through peoples rubbish was routinely done by the authorities!

I have shredded all personal documents since then!

We are led to believe that our elected representatives serve us!

The recent refusal by parliament to honour the promise of a referendum on the EU shows just what a sham our 'democracy' really is!

Without any real democracy we are at the mercy of these self serving politicians!

Answer 10

I find this totally bizarre.  What if they don't' like the rubbish I throw away?  I threw away a broken cake tin last week, and I spent about ten minutes, feeling guilty!  It was Teflon coated, so surely it shouldn't go in this bin, etc etc.  Or should I have taken it to the tip?

So I wold be mad as h**l.

Why don't councils throughout the country save money by giving each household one bin, and then franchising out the rubbish to salvagers?  Who wold sort it out correctly.

You'd get  100% recycling, and everyone would be happy.  

Maybe prisoners would like to be paid for sorting out rubbish.

Answer 11

I shred my financial statements.

Answer 12

It's about time local councils remembered just who it is they work for!!

Answer 13

Basically, doesn't it become theirs once they take it away?

Answer 14

Whats the problem if you've nothing to hide

Answer 15

I'd make sure that there were some pretty smelly things in the bin.

Answer 16

Dont see how you can stop it anyway.

Once you throw your rubbish out for the council to collect it becomes their property and they can do what they like with it.

They don't need consent.

Answer 17

I live in York and had no idea that this had happened. I do try and recycle to the best of my ability but occasionally things go in the rubbish that shouldnt. I think the council are snoops and are trying to force a lifestyle on people who dont want it.

The fact that I have to recycle now means that rubbish is left on my kitchen side until I have enough to warrant making the trip outside. When it is windy (like today) the rubbish blows all over the garden as the boxes and bags dont have lids. You see it all over the place, it makes the place look messy, and I am sure that rats are being attracted to the open rubbish.

As you can prob tell this is a bit of a sore point with me... I could go on and on

Answer 18

I couldn't care less.  I shred all of my personal documents anyway.