Barcode on your bin - and a £100 fine if you put too much rubbish in it

Millions of families are to be given barcoded wheelie bins in a computerised system to spy on people's rubbish.

It will be used to send automatic £100 fines to people who put out too much refuse or break strict rules on when they leave their bins out.

The barcodes, to be brought in by a group of 27 councils, can also be used to enforce pay-as-you-throw taxes.

Binmen will carry handheld barcode readers on which they can record details of any rulebreaking by the bin's users.
At the end of their round, theywill return the scanners to a docking station which downloads the information to a central computer.

The computer can then send out tax bills or "education leaflets" and warnings to first-time rulebreakers. Those who offend several times will automatically be sent £100 fines.

If the pilot schemes are a success, other councils are likely to bring in barcodes to exploit the new powers to levy pay-as-you-throw taxes which were revealed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on Monday.

News of the barcode trials provoked an angry response from opposition politicians.

Tory spokesman Eric Pickles said: "The numbering of every bin in Britain is a necessary step before they stop emptying them for free.

"I am very concerned that this is the first step in creating a national central database of every bin.

"This is yet more intrusive monitoring of family homes by state bureaucrats, going hand in hand with identity cards and the national property database for council tax revaluation."

Disclosure of the scheme to put barcodes on bins comes after a week of chaos and interdepartmental warfare in Whitehall over pay-as-you-throw taxes on people who put out too much nonrecycled refuse.

Last week an official announcement of rubbish taxes by Defra was blocked by Gordon Brown at the last moment.

Downing Street ordered Defra minister Joan Ruddock to scrap a planned statement, pointing out that Mr Brown told the Daily Mail as long ago as April that he intended to kill off the idea.

Defra officials then said the plans "needed work" and were being "refined".

But on Monday the legal powers to levy taxes on bins were included in the department's Climate Change Bill - details of which will not be made public until next month.

Ministers said there will now be "pilot" projects to try out pay-asyou-throw taxes.

The Government calls the taxes "incentives" and ministers have suggested they will amount to no more than £30 a year.

But town halls and a think-tank close to Mr Brown believe this is far too low and that the taxes should be at least £10 a month.

Around 30 councils have already fitted wheelie bins with microchips which can identify the house or flat they belong to so bills can be sent to the right place after dustcarts weigh the bin's contents.

Mr Pickles said: "It is clear detailed planning is now under way to introduce next-generation technology and hit families with bin taxes on top of council tax.

"Whitehall will start off small with pilots before rolling out the scheme nationwide, as happened with the axing of weekly collections."

Some 170 councils have introduced fortnightly rubbish collections in an effort to make people recycle more waste.

The system has proved hugely unpopular and been blamed for smells and infestations of vermin.

Councils argue that they face £3billion extra costs in taxes and EU fines over the next few years if they do not cut the amount of rubbish they send to landfill.

The Local Government Association said last night the barcode system was meant to bring environmental improvements and not to spy on families.

A spokesman said: "Councils have no interest whatsoever in snooping on people.

"The use of new technology is one way a local authority can improve its collection service, combat fly-tipping and ensure residents are recycling as much waste as possible."
By STEVE DOUGHTY
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