Bin chips slammed

The number of councils installing microchips in rubbish bins has increased by nearly two thirds in a year, a campaign group said today.

At least 2.6 million households now have microchips in their bins which can be used to weigh the amount of waste used. Critics fear the chips will lead to “pay as you throw” charges.

A survey by Big Brother Watch found 68 councils across the UK have installed the chips.

That is an increase of 62 per cent on the 42 councils uncovered with Freedom of Information Act requests last year.

Yesterday it was revealed Bristol City Council will run a voluntary scheme offering cash incentives for residents who cut the amount of waste they throw away. But they will not be charged more for more rubbish.

The report, “Lifting the Lid”, found councils had spent more than £1 million installing the chips in the past year.

Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, criticised the “surreptitious” installation of the chips.

He said: “The number of local councils placing microchips in bins is increasing, despite the fact that only one of them has volunteered to trial the Government’s ‘pay–as–you–throw’ scheme.

“Councils are waiting until the public aren’t watching to begin surveillance on our waste habits, intruding into people’s private lives and introducing punitive taxes on what we throw away.

“The British public doesn’t want this technology, these fines or this intrusion.

“If local authorities have no intention to monitor our waste then they should end the surreptitious installation of these bin microchips.”

A spokesman for the Local Government Association said: "Microchips simply identify the house to which a bin belongs. They do not mean councils can analyse what people are throwing away or issue fines.

"Putting microchips in people's bins can allow councils to provide people with a better service that costs less. If an elderly resident needs help getting their bin collected and returned, a microchip quickly flags it up to the refuse collector, saving time and money.

"Through its Big Brother Watch campaign, the TaxPayers' Alliance claims to be fighting intrusions on people's privacy and liberties.

"If this was really the case, it would be focusing on more important things than the state of the nation's rubbish bins."

A spokesman for the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs said: "There are no Government plans to introduce microchips in bins. Any use of microchips is a Local Authority decision.”