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  1. > A mum is facing fly-tipping charges after retrieving a small parcel from an Aldi collection locker. Natasha Sheldon Lane, 35, has been asked to attend an “interview under caution” after the parcel’s plastic envelope was found in a public waste bin.

    > Keen to check the correct order had been sent, she unwrapped the parcel and tossed its non-recyclable wrapper into a black bin on Duke Street, Flint. She thought little more about it until receiving a letter in the post from Flintshire Council’s environmental enforcement team.

    > Flintshire Council said it was “currently investigating this matter”. Katie Wilby, chief officer for Streetscene and Transportation, added: “As it is an active investigation, it is not appropriate to comment further at this stage.”

    > On its website, Flintshire Council states that, under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, it is an offence to dispose of household or business waste in public litter bins.

    > It adds: “Public litter bins are provided only for waste produced when you’re out and about, and bagged dog waste.

    > “They should not be used for disposing of domestic or business waste. In town centres, these bins are emptied 2 to 3 times per day, and regularly in other areas.

    Some snippets above.

    Collecting a small parcel from a collection point and putting the waste in a public bin is considered an offence? Astonishing.

  2. DescriptionKey8550 on

    This is an absolutely ridiculous waste of public money. I’m paranoid so I always remove my name from cardboard before throwing it to the bin next to the Amazon locker but for a privacy reasons.

  3. EddViBritannia on

    Genuinely someone needs to put a stop to this shit. 

    They’re public waste bins for the public!  I don’t see any terms and fucking conditions on them do you?

    This isn’t a fucking builder dumping construction waste in. bins.This is your average person using them in a reasonable manner.

  4. Emotional-Ebb8321 on

    Someone needs to print up some labels with environmental enforcement team addresses, stick them on envelopes, and dump them in the bins.

  5. From actually reading the article it sounds like someone has used the public bin to dispose of a lot of business waste. The council is suspecting the mum because that was the only bit of waste that had details on it. It makes a little bit more sense now.

  6. “non recyclable”. What do you want her to do with it then; throw it in a bush? Can’t recycle, can’t lift in general waste. Shit’s fucked.

  7. deyterkourjerbs on

    I lived in Germany for a while. People in your building get angry with you for putting stuff in the wrong bin. You missed some grease on your pizza box? Let’s put a note up to tell you off. You put some toilet rolls in your general waste? Let’s tut about it or send everyone a message on the apartment WhatsApp.

    After a while, you get Stockholm syndrome and you end up reading this newspaper article, years later, and cheering for the Council.

  8. It seems that business waste was found in the bin (which isn’t allowed) and the council suspects this woman because a piece of paper with her address was found with it. She could have nothing to do with it or she could have invented her story to try and get the council to back down. I’m not sure why the article keeps mentioning recycling as that seems to be irrelevant. Also, it isn’t great that they just repeat her story as fact when they can’t verify it.

  9. OolonColluphid042 on

    Was there a left over paint or motor oil in the envelope? Was it an environmental hazard? Otherwise I don’t see the offense.

  10. ShambolicPaulThe2nd on

    It seems there was a lot of “business waste” in the bin. They got a “clue” and a Scooby snack when they found this ladies address on the plastic wrapping. Assuming all the rubbish to be hers. Which it may or may not be. The interview under caution she will either admit it, or she will walk with no further action taken.

  11. The amount of times I see entire bin bags that have been stuffed into bins and someone gets nicked for an envelope. There’s a reason people see policing in this country as a joke.

  12. Particular_Pickle465 on

    Oh no. Shall I go and turn myself in? Because I took a bit of rubbish from home and put it in a public bin a couple of times. I’m not sure I can handle the guilt guys.

  13. spank_monkey_83 on

    I never put anything in my household waste with my name on it. I either pour boiling water on the label and rub the paper away, burn the small piece with identifying details, barcodes etc. Or shred it. I used to think it was over the top. Now im not so sure.

  14. Oaken_Spiritus on

    Is this fucking satire?

    They’ve declared they won’t investigate bike theft if the bike was unattended for longer than two hours but your everyday mum gets hauled in for using a bin?

    Get me off this crazy fucking ride.

  15. This is the sort of story that normally ends with an apology from the council because it was featured in the media.

    The problem is many other small injustices by councils or the government against people who commit tiny mistakes end up in a fine or some other punitive measure and of course no apology.

  16. The UK police seem to be speedrunning a civil noncompliance situation. Didn’t they decide to investigate burglaries depending if your house was an even or odd number ?