A BIN crew is to be “re-educated” after it was discovered they had emptied recycling bins into waste headed for landfill.

Last month, it was revealed that Wirral Council had launched an investigation after residents reported seeing the binmen empty green and grey bins into the same wagon.

The authority has now said that when questioned the crew admitted they had been dumping rubbish and recycling into the same wagon, but said they had been trying to deal with the backlog which had built up during the bad weather.

Green bins are supposed to contain non-recyclable waste – destined to go to landfill – while grey bins are used for paper, bottles, and other items able to be recycled.

The incident happened as bin collections in Wirral, and across Merseyside, had been hit by the snowfall and some residents said they had gone for almost a month without having their bins emptied.

As crews battled to catch up on missed collections, the council asked people to store waste for recycling in a dry place, as that refuse was not being prioritised.

The council immediately launched an investigation into the claims, which it said were contrary to the authority’s policy.

In a statement, director of technical services, Dave Green said: “Biffa have interviewed the crew in question and reported to me that they have admitted emptying both colour bins into the wagon.

“Despite receiving previous instructions by Biffa management that this is not permitted, the crew felt that they were helping due to the backlog of waste that had accumulated in this road as a result of the bad weather.

“Biffa have taken appropriate action to ensure the crew do not make the same mistake again. On recognising the severe consequences of their actions, the crew has also volunteered to undertake a two-hour education programme with the council’s Waste and Recycling Team to help them understand why recycling and correct management of waste is so important.

“I can reassure residents that appropriate steps have been taken to prevent this from occurring again.”

According to council figures, Wirral is currently reusing, recycling or composting more than 39% of household waste, and the authority has made significant improvements on recycling in recent years.