Many streets in Cambridge have narrow pavements with barely enough room to walk down.
This problem is made worse when residents leave bins out after collection or cause other obstructions, for example by leaving excess waste on the pavement.
To minimise problems we ask all residents to put their bins out no earlier than 6pm the night before collection and by no later than 7am on the day of collection.
We then ask residents to remove their bins from the pavement by midnight on the day of collection.
Leaving your bin on the street can also lead to other problems including:
- other people dumping their rubbish in your bins
- your bins being stolen
- anti-social behaviour
Rangers
Our City Rangers are always on the lookout for bins left out after collection.
The rangers can provide advice about managing household waste and recycling, and can check that you are using the most appropriate bins, boxes or sacks for your property.
If you would like to speak to a ranger about your bins our a problem with bins in your street, email the Customer Service Centre or telephone 01223 457000.
Enforcement
The council has a duty to collect rubbish from households in the city, but only if that rubbish is placed out for collection in the way that is specified.
Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 enables us to specify how residents put rubbish out for collection.
This includes the type and number of containers and where they will be collected from.
For those residents who persistently leave rubbish or bins out on the street, or contaminate their green bin, we can serve a statutory notice under the Environmental Protection Act.
Any future breach of this notice could lead to a fixed penalty notice or prosecution in the magistrates court.
