Perth homeowners, be warned as your smelly bin could now get you fined $5,000.
A Perth council in the suburb of Victoria Park introduced the hefty fine to prevent residents’ green garden bins from attracting a potent stench, as per Daily Mail.
Victoria Park Mayor Karen Vernon told 6PR that the new regulations were in place to ensure people would discard their rubbish correctly.
“We will need some powers, as a local council, to be able to make that behaviour change appropriately,” she said.
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“What is really important is that the contents of that third bin is just organic material, so it can be processed into compost.”
She added that the new rule comes after the council wheeled in new bins for garden organics such as grass clippings, leaves, weeds, bark and sticks.
"And we're hoping to move in the not too distant future towards collecting food organics and garden organics only ... which is known as FOGO, in that third bin," she said.
However, following the announcement, many voiced their outrage on social media as one person wrote: “How good is garbage meant to smell? What do we do with the garbage that is too smelly for council to collect - leave it out on the kerb? Should council go back to collecting once a week so that our garbage is not sitting around getting smelly? Why do we pay higher rates for a council who collects our garbage less?”
Another shared: “In my area we are told to put kitchen scraps in the green bin. Seeing it's collected every fortnight, it would be quite whiffy by day 14.”
A third commented: “Define smelly in a legal sense so it can be followed through as a fine. Burns your nose off, repugnant but acceptable, off odour that causes dogs to wail ? … please define this so called smelly rule boundaries.”
While another said: “If something smelling is a fineable offence then people should be getting fined for farting and departing in the local shops.
“Does that mean you can call the cops on someone's perfume or home deodoriser that you don't like and is too strong smelling haha.”
I mean, wearing enough Lynx Africa to take out a small dog should definitely be a fineable penalty.
While the new policy garnered widespread criticism, some were quick to back the ruling.
One person wrote: “I’m in Wollongong NSW. Our council gave us FOGO (food organics, garden organics) bins to sit it your kitchen for food and veg scraps and now empty our green bin every week while our red and yellow is every 2nd week….works well.”
While another shared: “Can’t handle a smelly bin either. Once it’s emptied. Bit of Pine O Cleen and a hose. Easy!”
I mean, if you’re desperate to rid the smell of your bin juices, there’s nothing Chanel No.5 can’t cure. Spritz away, my friends.
Charisa Bossinakis