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Islington Tribune - by CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS
Published: 8 August 2008

Rubbish ‘snoops’ cause outrage

THE row over Islington Council’s “rubbish snoopers ” blew up again this week after residents demanded to know whether dustbin inspectors had been checked for criminal records.
The council has come under fire after it was revealed it hired an organisation to inspect householders’ rubbish – without asking for permission – to see how much recycling was being done.
Archway resident community activist Chris Roche said: “I think the scheme is morally reprehensible and highly dubious in terms of the legality. At the very least the council should notify residents that they intend to go through their bins.”
He added that the scheme should not have been allowed without a public debate and a reassurance that those involved have been properly vetted.
“How do we know that they are not selling our information to identity fraudsters,” he added.
But Islington council maintained that confidentiality was taken very serious and no snooping was involved when the survey was carried out three years ago.
George Durak, chairman of Islington’s Pensioners Forum, said he was “horrified” by the scheme.
One of the roads targeted was Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s street, just minutes from Highbury station. This week his neighbours hit back, describing the survey as an invasion of their privacy.
News that the information collected by Islington would be handed over to Defra, central government’s environment wing, further angered them.
A council spokesman said: “The rubbish becomes the property of the council when it is collected. We’re just seeing what people are throwing away and whether we’re offering a good service.”
He cited the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Part II, section 45, as giving them legal ownership of your rubbish.
The organisation who do the inspecting, a not for profit organisation, is called Resource Futures.
Defra are using the information to draw up a national recycling map of the country.
A spokesman said: “Defra did not commission Islington Council to do this work. If local projects gather information which can help improve performance more widely, Defra is interested in hearing about it, and we have asked Resource Futures to collate any such information for us. Any information sent to Defra is anonymous.”

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