RATEPAYERS stand to lose their bin services easier, and still be charged, under a proposed clamp down to reduce contamination of the kerb services council provides throughout Wangaratta.

Under a revised policy before council, anyone getting four strikes for having the wrong items in their roadside organics and recycling bins within four years will have their bin confiscated.

Currently people can receive four contamination notices per calendar year before their bins are confiscated, however, under a new waste services policy the timeframe before a reset will lengthen to every four years.

If a fourth offence occurs the policy states that the organics or recycling bin will be removed and the waste charge will remain, a punishment that could last up to four years.

To have the service reinstated the resident will then have to write a letter to council promising that they will use the bin correctly by only placing accepted materials in their bin.

Cr Jack Herry said the four strike policy was a measure to try and mitigate and control contamination from the kerbside waste streams.

"The current situation is that there are four opportunities for kerbside yellow and green lidded bins to have a significant amount of contamination," he said.

"It's a big problem because it can get into the truck and contaminate the whole load and drag down on resources or even send the whole truck load to landfill.

"We don't want this to happen because we want more of the recyclables and organic materials to be treated appropriately as a valuable resource."

Cr Herry said under the proposed change to the policy if a resident or business exceeds the contamination threshold, their bin service could be stopped for up to four years.

But council will show compassion, as Cr Herry said director of infrastructure services Marcus Goonan assured councillors it would not be a set and forget four year removal of service.

He said council will closely monitor each situation for the opportunity and re–instatement of the bins and services.

If you are unsure of what can go in what bin visit council's waste website for more information or contact council directly.

Cr Herry and fellow councillors Ashlee Fitzpatrick and Dave Fuller strongly encouraged people to make a submission to the policy which is on public exhibition for 28 days.

To view the waste services policy and to make a submission visit https://www.wangaratta.vic.gov.au/Home.tamination