Natasha Sheldon Lane has been accused of ‘unlawful depositing of waste’ and faces a potential fine
Natasha disposed of her parcel envelope in this bin on Duke Street a short distance from Flint’s Aldi store(Image: Google)
The disposal of a plastic envelope in a public bin has landed a mum-of-two in hot water. Natasha Sheldon Lane, 35, from Flintshire, has been accused of “unlawful depositing of waste” and faces a potential fine.
The ordeal began when Natasha collected a small parcel from an Aldi collection locker. Wanting to ensure she had received the correct order, she opened the parcel and disposed of its non-recyclable wrapper in a black bin on Duke Street, Flint. She thought nothing more of it until a letter arrived from Flintshire Council’s environmental enforcement team.
This alleged “unlawful depositing of waste” under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Called to an interview with an environmental crime officer at the council’s Alltami depot, Natasha was told she could bring a solicitor at her own expense.
As a mother of two who provides full-time care for her youngest child, aged 13, who has additional needs, she cannot travel to the depot. Instead, a crime officer was set to visit her home today (October 2), reports North Wales Live.
“I spoke to the officer this morning,” she said. “He told me I could be facing fly-tipping charges with a £300 fine. He said he also has discretion to impose a £75 littering fine instead. If I could afford a solicitor, I would be fighting this all the way.”
Natasha acknowledges that she made three key errors: failing to tear up the plastic envelope to hide her address; confessing to officers that she had put the envelope in the bin; and not understanding that a thin piece of plastic could cause her so much bother.
“I’d have been better off throwing it on the floor,” she said. “My only crime was being honest and law-abiding – placing the envelope in the bin and then admitting I’d done so.”
A section of the letter Natasha received from an environmental crime officer
Natasha added: “What’s happened is completely ridiculous. It’s causing unnecessary stress to someone who only tried to do the right thing.
“What’s worrying is that council staff are rifling through public bins in the hope of catching someone out. How much is this costing? The council is always complaining it has no money yet it can afford to do this.”
According to Natasha, she was told she was being held responsible for the entire contents of the black bin as her item was the only litter found inside with an address label. “The officer told me I was the fourth person to be investigated for this offence this week,” she said.
Natasha spoke out in the hope of warning others about the pitfalls of litter disposal. Whilst her plastic wrapper was marked as non-recyclable for household bins, she has since learnt it could have been voluntarily deposited in “soft plastics” recycling containers in supermarkets and Co-op stores.
Items like crisp packets and bread bags that also can’t be recycled in household bins can be disposed of in the same way. For the biggest stories in Wales first, sign up to our daily newsletter here
“It’s really sad that people are being targeted who are only trying to do the right thing,” she said. “I understand there are some items that shouldn’t be put in a public bin, like diabetic boxes containing used needles that should be returned to a chemist.
“But a non-recyclable plastic parcel wrapper? Where’s the common sense in that? The most annoying thing is that I live nearby and I can see this bin from my house. Every day I see older people sitting down nearby to read their letters – will they be targeted too?”
Natasha had been picking up a parcel from Flint’s Aldi collection point(Image: Google)
When Natasha shared her experiences online, it sparked fury. The outrage was intensified by rapidly increasing council taxes, reduced litter collections and a fly-tipping epidemic that left some back streets clogged with abandoned furniture and household items.
She added: “I will probably have to accept the £75 littering fine as I can’t afford a fly-tipping charge. In this day and age, who can afford these kinds of spurious fines? It will have to come out of my carer’s allowance.
“I worry that some people will have to go without eating just to pay off these fines.
“It may be too late for me to do anything about it. But I hope that by highlighting what has happened to me, it will help stop others falling into the same trap.”
In response, Flintshire Council stated it was “currently investigating this matter”. Katie Wilby, chief officer for Streetscene and Transportation, added: “As it is an active investigation, it is not appropriate to comment further at this stage.”
On its website, Flintshire Council clarifies that under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, it is an offence to dispose of household or business waste in public litter bins.
The council further explains: “Public litter bins are provided only for waste produced when you’re out and about, and bagged dog waste.
“They should not be used for disposing of domestic or business waste. In town centres, these bins are emptied 2 to 3 times per day, and regularly in other areas.
“It is also a fly-tipping offence to leave any type of waste, including domestic and business waste, near a litter bin (e.g. black bin bag or shopping bag).
“If your waste is found to be dumped illegally, whether you know about it or not, you can be fined up to £5,000.”