The Welsh Conservatives have criticised the Labour-run Blaenau Gwent Council after it was revealed that every single household in the county borough has had their black bin waste inspected at some point over the past eight years.
Figures show that enforcement officials have carried out more than 32,000 black bin inspections since 2017, covering every property in the area, as part of efforts to monitor and enforce recycling rules.
Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and the Environment, Janet Finch-Saunders MS, said:
“The people of Blaenau Gwent should not have to feel the council breathing down their necks to ensure they’re recycling. This is incredibly dystopian and echoes Big Brother watching their every move.
“Recycling should be simple, not burdened by ever-changing rules and heavy-handed enforcement. If we want people to recycle effectively, the process must remain easy and straightforward.
“With council tax rising year after year while services are being cut, people in Wales are right to question how their money is being spent and why they’re being asked to do more with less.”
