Inspectors dubbed “bin police” have been sent out to people’s houses following the arrival of a new recycling scheme.
Residents in parts of Perth and Kinross, including Longforgan and Inchture, have been given new containers as part of the rollout of the scheme.
It means that the size of general waste bins are being cut from 240 litres to 140 litres in a bid to reduce what’s sent to landfill and encourage more items to be recycled.
However, some households are allowed to apply for a second bin if they’re producing too much rubbish.
When that happens, inspectors are sent out to assess if they need an extra bin.
But some residents are sceptical of the scheme — and aren’t pleased with the council’s use of the bin inspectors.
Resident Susan Cameron said she saw an inspector filing through some bins last week.
She added: “Before they were taken away, a man was poking around the rubbish inspecting what was in them.
“I saw the bin police around the village twice in the same day doing the exact same thing.
“It was a bit ridiculous.”
The 56-year-old shop assistant added: “I do recycle, but I usually fill my general waste bin, so I had to request a brown bin.
“Now I have three bin collections instead of two.
“It seems like a lot more hassle for the council than anything else.”
Ronald McCauley, 65, another resident of the village, said: “They’re doing what they have to do but I don’t think the inspector is needed.”
Douglas Pover, a councillor for the area, said he was not aware of any complaints about the bins.
He added: “The bigger bins are being replaced by smaller bins and that’s just normal procedure through this recycling scheme the council is introducing.
“If residents in the area are having issues with the size of their bin or they request another general waste bin, there are community waste advisers who will help with concerns.
“They are there to verify whether an extra bin is needed.”
An Angus Council spokeswoman said: “Officers treat every home visit with the greatest discretion and respect.
“We understand that some residents may feel that this is unnecessary. However, we have to be sure that no one is taking advantage of the system and benefitting from a service other people are not.
“We’d be happy to speak to those who have experienced a visit if they have any positive suggestions on how we could make any improvements for future visits. They can contact the team by emailing recycle@pkc.gov.uk.”