I am writing in response to a letter about bins in last week’s newspaper (‘Stupid rules for bin crews’, Your Views, February 27).

I would like to explain our procedure for dealing with contaminated bins. Unfortunately, our crews do not have time to knock on the doors of residents who have put the wrong items in their bin as they are on a schedule to empty more than a thousand bins a day and take the loads of waste to a tipping site.

Any contaminated waste from someone’s bin that is taken to the site can cause the whole load to be rejected and taken to landfill instead – this has the potential to waste around eight tonnes of people’s brown bin recycling.

Polystyrene and anything else in your brown bin that is on the ‘no’ list as specifically prescribed by our recycling site is deemed as contamination and means your bin will not be collected. Contaminated bins will be collected on the next round if the contamination – polystyrene in this case – has been removed. For details of what can and can’t go in your bins and boxes, please visit www.hertsmere.gov.uk/recycling I’m sorry that on this occasion Ms McMullen had gone to some lengths to ensure her normal rubbish in her black bin was bagged up nicely but this is unrelated to the contamination in her brown bin. Please note it would be worth reporting anyone going through household bins to the police on 101.

Cllr Jean Heywood

Con/Borehamwood Hillside Environment Portfolio Holder Hertsmere Borough Council