Woman May Go to Prison on Recycle Charges

A 30-year-old mother of three has appeared before magistrates in Devon, United Kingdom accused of failing to recycle household waste properly. Donna Challice is being prosecuted for contaminating recyclable rubbish under the Environmental Protection Act. She was released on bail and will next appear on 5 June for a pre-trial review.

The offenses of putting items into the wrong recycling bins are alleged to have taken place on six occasions over the last year. Under the Environmental Protection Act, local authorities have enacted complicated rules and schedules specifying which types of recyclable items must be placed in which containers on which days. The recycled items also must be thoroughly cleaned before being discarded.

Arthur Dimson, director of Waste Disposal for the Exeter City Council, dismissed Challice's claim that the rules are confusing and that any offense was inadvertent. "It's quite simple, really," said Dimson. "On the second and fourth Monday of each month, plastics go in the red bins and aluminum in the blue bins. On the first and third Tuesdays of each month--providing there has already been a first Monday, paper goes into the red containers and other, non-aluminum metals go into the blue containers. If there hasn't been a first Monday, the schedule is pushed back a week. On alternating Wednesdays, glass goes into the red cans and miscellaneous recyclable refuse goes into the blue cans. On Thursdays, non-recyclable refuse may be put into either the red or blue receptacles. All discards must be washed except clothing--which may be either washed or dry-cleaned depending upon the fabric--and paper. Paper with colored printing should only be placed in the red cans on the first Tuesday of each month. Paper with only black ink may be placed in the red containers on any other qualifying Tuesday. On weekends the bins are to remain empty for cleaning. These rules are all posted on the bottom of each recycling bin. So it's not as if people have to memorize them."

Challice says she finds the rules confusing and has trouble remembering which week is which.

Dimson characterized failure to follow these simple rules evidence of malice or criminal indifference toward the environment. "Mrs. Challice could wait until the weekend and look in the bottom of the empty bin to refresh her memory on the rules," said Dimson.

Challice faces a possible prison term and court costs if found guilty. As she is a single-parent, her five children will be put in foster homes if she has to go to prison. Other city governments are watching the matter closely, as the outcome of this case will set a precedent and may encourage similar prosecutions elsewhere.

The original recycling ordinance here in Portland contained similar provisions. Tin cans, for example had to have had their labels removed as well as the bottom cut out, the two ends placed inside the can prior to flattening. I even got nasty notes from the pick-up crew. However, almost no one complied fully and now the rules are completely relaxed and many people just throw all their recycle stuff in one can.

I think this shows that the average American has a different temperament than the average Brit although our 'leaders' are eerily the same.

This story wouldn't be quite as funny if you had actually reported the true facts of the case, but hey why let facts get in the way of a good story. The recycling system in Exeter is very simple.All households are supplied with 2 bins, a green one for recycling and a grey one for other household rubbish. The green bins are emptied on a fortnightly rota with the grey bins being emptied on the alternate weeks. The rubbish suitable for recycling does not have to be sorted by the householder, this is done at the recycling centre. All types of paper, including newspaper, magazines, and telephone directories can be placed in the green bins. Householders are requested that tin cans and plastic bottles should be washed as the recycled rubbish is sorted by hand at the recycling centre. The rules as to what should be put in the recycling bin are not posted on the bottom of the bin as you state in your story, they are on the front or on the lid.

Donna Challice only faces a possible prison sentence if she fails to pay whatever fine is levied if she is found guilty. At the beginning of your article you state that she is a mother of 3 whilst at the end of your article you state she has 5 children, she has in fact got 3 children. She has been quoted in the local press as saying that as a single mother of 3 she does not have time to recycle, but as she is unemployed and all her children are of school age she probably has more time than most of us in Exeter.

From the preliminary court hearings Exeter City Council have said that Challice has been warned on a number of occasions about contaminating the recycling bin with food waste and has ignored the warnings, and she has been taken to court as a last resort. Challices defence will state that the City Council have to prove that she is the one who contaminated her bin

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