SWANSEA: ‘Don’t blame us’ — residents round on council over bin warning, but the council has answers
The council issued the appeal this week after what it described as a rise in domestic waste being forced into, or dumped beside, public litter bins across the city.
It said it had invested in new multi-purpose bins — the same type rolled out from 2022 to replace older dog-waste bins — including designs with smaller openings to stop misuse and deter scavenging birds and animals.
Those bins, it stressed, are for litter and dog waste while people are out and about, not for bags of household rubbish — and using them that way is illegal and can lead to fines or prosecution.
The council warned that misuse creates mess, attracts pests, and could ultimately see a bin removed altogether if it continues. “Most people do the right thing, but a small minority risk spoiling it for others,” it said.
Domestic and bulky waste, including discarded window frames, dumped beside litter bins at locations across Swansea. (Image: Swansea Council)
The public response, however, was overwhelmingly critical, and pointed the finger back at the council.
By far the most common argument was that overflowing bins are a consequence of household collection limits, with many residents saying three black bags a fortnight is not enough for an average family.
A recurring theme was the booking system at the city’s recycling centres, which numerous people wanted scrapped, arguing it makes legitimate disposal harder.
Others questioned how residents without a car are meant to take bulky items such as window frames to a tip, while many called for CCTV near problem bins and for offenders to be fined rather than threatened.
But on most of these points, the council has a stated position — and some of the complaints sit awkwardly with the facts.
Swansea’s three-bag limit has been in place since 2014, and black bags are collected fortnightly on residents’ green week. Households that recycle everything they can but still produce more — including large families, houses in multiple occupation, and those with nappies or pet waste — can apply for an exemption to put out extra bags.
Far from cutting collections, Swansea last year rejected Welsh Government guidance urging councils to move to three or four-weekly black bag collections, with council leader Rob Stewart stating plainly that the city was “not moving to 3 week or monthly collections.” Neighbouring Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire already collect black bags every three weeks.
The council has also been expanding what residents can recycle at the kerbside, including a soft-plastics collection trial that had gathered more than 70 tonnes by the end of last year.
On the widespread calls for CCTV, the council says it does not have the resources to monitor every bin around the clock, that those misusing bins go to lengths to avoid detection, and that cameras carry “significant resource and legal implications” often disproportionate to the benefit.
For bulky items, the council runs a paid kerbside collection service — £25 for up to three items, with half-price collections for residents on certain benefits.
And on removing bins, the council says this is a last resort, following ongoing monitoring and warning notices, and that a bin may only be taken away temporarily or relocated nearby.
The frustration nonetheless comes against the backdrop of a major recycling shake-up approved in January, which introduced new reusable containers and changes to kerbside collections aimed at cutting single-use plastic.
The council has defended the wider strategy by pointing to results. In February, Swansea was named the best-performing city in Wales for recycling, with households pushing the area’s rate to 72%, and the city has climbed into the top three recycling authorities in Wales as the country closes in on becoming the world’s best.
Residents can report a full or overflowing litter bin, or apply for a black bag exemption, through the council’s website.
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