Householders asked to empty bins

A council has asked householders to empty their own bins so binmen do not hurt themselves lifting the rubbish.

Around 2,000 letters have been sent out to residents in the Craven area of North Yorkshire asking them to remove glass and cans from their bins to reduce the risk of staff being injured by repeated lifting.

The letter from Craven District Council, which was sent after a review of health and safety procedures, reportedly states that lifting the rubbish is having a "negative effect" on refuse workers and asks residents to "take a lot of the strain out of the job for our staff".

The request will be rolled out to all 9,500 householders who use the council's "triple bin" recycling scheme - where residents have a large main bin, for paper and card, containing two 50-litre compartments for glass and cans.

The council is asking residents to remove these containers, called "pods" or "caddy inserts", on collection days as refuse workers are having difficulty lifting them "due to the awkward height of the bins".

The letter says that by leaving the containers next to the main bins, rather than within it, "would take a lot of the strain out of the job for our staff and reduce the risk of them sustaining injuries".

A spokeswoman for Craven District Council said people were not obliged to remove the containers if they were unable to.

She said: "We have been reviewing existing practices in light of recent health and safety advice and, as a result, have asked residents to work with us wherever possible.

"Naturally we do not expect elderly or frail residents to remove the glass and can pods which is why it has just been a request to residents to consider, if they feel able to manage it."