Online moan about Milton Keynes residents putting bin bags out too early causes major debate on social media

An online moan about people who put their rubbish out the night before collection day has sparked a fierce debate on Facebook.

A resident posted his views on the popular Milton Keynes Moan public page, asking: “Why do people put their refuse bags out the evening before collection? I am fed up of picking rubbish up.”

He added: “Refuse is put out officially by 7am on the day of collection. This is why we have a plaque of RATS, I will actually be glad when we all have bins.”

The post prompted dozens of replies showing a divide of opinion, with half the people agreeing it caused a problem and the others refusing to get up at “stupid O’clock” just to catch the binmen.

According to the council’s website, it is actually okay to put rubbish out the night before. Under the heading ‘When and where to put your bins out’, it states: “Place your waste and recycling on the boundary of your property by 7am on your collection day, closest to where the collection vehicle passes.”

But then it adds: “Don't put out your waste and recycling earlier than 5pm the day before your collection day.”

One householder said: “I put mine out the night before as you never know what time they will come. Everyone in my street does and always have done... We even put them in big piles altogether so the truck just has to pull up and they can throw the bags in rather then carry them all from each house.”

Another gave a handy tip – spray the bags with disinfectant if you put them out overnight. This deters rats and foxes, he said.

More people pointed out that all food waste, which attracts the vermin, should be be put in black sacks anyway. The council’s guidance state it should go in the green wheelie bin.

But the problem of black sacks will largely disappear anyway at the end of this summer. On September 4 the council will roll out its grand new scheme, which will involve each household being supplied with four different wheelie bins.

There will be the standard green wheelie bin for food and garden waste plus three new 180 litre bins with different coloured lids.

The black lidded bin will be for rubbish you would usually put in your black sack, while the red one is for cardboard and paper and the blue bin is for plastic, metal and glass.

There will also be a small yellow battery bag, which should be placed on the green wheelie bin when it’s full.

Some people are unhappy at the prospect, saying they do not have room for all the bins. Others have welcomed it with open arms as a cleaner and greener way to deal with the city’s mountain of rubbish and recycling.

All street level properties in MK qualify for the four bins. Flats and places will be provided with the relevant colour sacks instead.

Residents can use a special online postcode checker to check whether they’ve been assessed to receive bins or sacks.