Moray residents who complain that their bins have not been emptied will no longer be able to call the Council and have collectors return.
Citing the cost implications and pressures on available resources, Moray Council has said that from February 3 return visits to collect missed refuse or recycling bins will only be made in exception circumstances.
The local authority say that the policy already exists but has not up until now been strictly enforced, adding that it costs the Council an average of £25 each time a crew is sent to empty a bin that a householder reported as being uncollected.
Chairman of the economic development and infrastructure services committee, Councillor John Cowe, said that each week around 42,000 properties were serviced by refuse collectors.
He added: “Unfortunately we receive an average of 12 to 15 calls a week from residents reporting missed bin collections.
“While some reports of missed bins are genuine, it has become evident that many reports of missed collections are not actually missed at all. The position is that if bins are not put out on time, they will not be collected.
“The costs of returning for missed bins are significantly more than those associated with a scheduled collection. With government cuts at an unprecedented level, it is unreasonable that the council spends such amounts of money on missed collections.”
Householders are being reminded that all waste and recycling containers should be put out for collection at the kerbside no later than 7.30am on collection day. Any uncollected waste or recycling items can be left free of charge at staffed recycling centres in Forres, Elgin, Keith, Buckie and Nether Dallachy, while there are a number of unmanned recycling centres throughout Moray.
Moray residents are also be told that in the event of a bin being missed for whatever reason no excess waste will be uplifted on the next scheduled collection day.
Councillor Cowe said: “I look forward to the public’s co-operation in helping reduce the costs incurred in returning for missed bins and I thank everyone for their support in all waste and recycling related matters, especially during these times of ever-decreasing resources.”