Man fined £400 for leaving wine bottles next to recycling bin

A Lincolnshire resident was slapped with a hefty fine after placing wine bottles next to, rather than inside, an overflowing recycling bin.

Neil Robinson was “absolutely furious” to receive a council fine of £400 for “waste not placed inside an approved bin”.

Robinson and his wife had taken three bottles of Prosecco to the recycling point at their local Tesco Extra store in Boston, Lincolnshire.

When they arrived they found the glass recycling bin full to the brim and overflowing, so left their empty fizz bottles next to the bins inside a plastic bag.

“I thought I was doing the right thing. The council hadn’t emptied the bins and they were overflowing so I left my bottles beside the container,” Robinson told The Sun.

However, his car registration was clocked by CCTV at the site and Boston council tracked down Robinson via the DVLA.

He received a letter issuing him with a £400, stating:

“Waste must be placed inside an approved bin, recycling receptacle or handed over to an authorised waste collection authority. As your waste deposit was unauthorised, you have been issued with a fixed penalty notice for £400. There is no discount offered for early payment, nor can we accept a direct debit or payment plan.”

The letter further warned: “If you do not pay the amount of the penalty on or before the specified date the local authority may prosecute you for the offence.

“If convicted you may receive a much greater penalty and a criminal record.”

A spokesperson for the council said that it has a “zero-tolerance policy to fly-tipping”

Robinson, who works as a driving instructor, faces losing his job if he is convicted of a crime.

“The council has basically branded me a fly-tipper for taking my recycling to the bottle bank,” he said.

“They’re sending out a terrible message to ordinary people who just want to do their bit for the environment. It’s outrageous.”