Change is coming to bin collections in Belfast, with the council warning people that their bins may not get collected if the lid doesn't shut or if it's been lined - and it feels like a 'joke' to some Belfast Live readers in our comments section who feel they're getting less despite shelling out more on rates this year.
From May 12 to June 23, bins that are over-full or have a bin liner will get an "amber" tag as a warning, but will still be collected as usual. After June 23, you'll receive a red tag instead, and your bin won't be collected.
The change follows a coroner's findings from 2022 in an fatal accident in Coventry in England, where a worker was lifted into and crushed inside a lorry. The council report states: “Until now waste collections worked in a pragmatic way in that if an individual bin was open slightly then crews would be expected to collect. However, in effect this was running contrary to council policy."
Modified lorries include new sensors to help prevent the tragedy from happening elsewhere. The changes mean that the bin lifters will cut out if it detects something other than closed bins.
The council has some work to do to get the message across, despite the reason for the change. Reader Geb67 says: "Where are the days when bin men did the lifting of bins up onto the lorries. They had no lifting machines then. It was a major safety hazard but nowt was done to save their health etc. Now the bin men push the bin onto lifts, push a button, bins emptied."
Commenter Ragnarsdottir writes: "£1700+ on rates for them not to empty your bin!" Oldteacher267 agrees: "This is a ridiculous and daft idea."
The ban on bin liners is the issue for others. B3lfasthandyman says: "The rates have just gone up to the tune of 5%. If you live in a cul de sac like I do, you have to leave your bin at the entrance with the handle pointing out, then when it's emptied you have to go get it.
"It's a WHEELIE bin and the lorry lifts it and empties it, not like the metal ones the bin men used to empty back in the day, where they lifted them by the handle. The council talks about keeping the area and streets clean, what is honestly wrong with a bin liner?"
Honestly91 writes: "This is actually a joke! Myself and all my family/friends all use liners on our black bins. It keeps them nice and clean, and they are tied before pickup, so when the bin is lifted, it all comes out in the truck, nothing is left behind and certainly there is no danger from our black bin liners. Soon enough half the country won't be getting their bins emptied and we're gonna become like Birmingham, and get infested with rats the size of cats!"
On our Facebook page, Katrina Bell says: "So the council are spending more needless money on sensors for bin lorries. The workers’ eyes must be painted on then if they can’t see the bin lid doesn’t close fully! Waste of money and expect us to pay more rates for them to afford it! Ridiculous!"
Pauline Harrison writes: "For goodness' sake. When I was growing up, bin men carried big metal bins over their shoulders to empty them. If that’s the case then they should get penalised for not leaving the bins back at your front door, as I’ve to walk half way up the street to get mine after being emptied."
Have your say! Is helping to prevent accidents not a good enough reason to make this change? How would you change up Belfast's bin collections if you were in charge? Comment below, and join in on the conversation.
English (United States) ·