Four million families have a Big Brother chip in their wheeliebin

The Daily Mail
May. 25, 2007

Nearly four million families have 'Big Brother' microchips fitted in their bins, it was revealed yesterday. A massive expansion of the 'spies in the bin' technology has taken place by stealth in preparation for a shake-up in rubbish collections.

A survey shows one in seven councils has introduced the chips - affecting 3.7million households.

It was previously thought only around 250,000 families were affected - meaning many homeowners probably have no idea their wheeliebin contains the chip.

The chips have been fitted in a test of the equipment which will send bills according to how full bins are. Ministers claim the controversial tax is intended to encourage recycling.

But the plans have enraged civil liberties campaigners who say it is a further example of the Big Brother state.

The Conservatives used Freedom of Information laws to ask all town halls whether they had fitted the chip technology.

'Bin spies' are already operating or are about to operate in 68 councils.

Councils are spending millions of pounds to buy the bins, truck-weighing equipment and computer software. Lorries will be fitted with technology to read the chips to calculate each household bill.

Many chips are not operational because the rubbish tax has not been introduced - but some trials have taken place to test the equipment.

The Freedom of Information requests also reveal a number of councils have been directly funded by the Government to install the chips.

Tory local government spokesman Eric Pickles said: 'There is already public alarm at Labour's plans to allow council tax inspectors to barge into people's homes and to use "spies in the sky" to increase council tax bills. Now we face the prospect of bin chips quietly being fitted in bins across the country to spy on families without their knowledge.'

The survey shows Blackpool Council - which was Labour-led until earlier this month - has spent Ł3million on a bin contract, while Crewe and Nantwich in Cheshire has spent Ł3.5million.

The Local Government Association has backed rubbish taxes, saying families should pay for the amount they throw out to encourage recycling.

Tory environment spokesman Peter Ainsworth said Conservatives wanted to promote recycling but 'higher stealth taxes' were not the answer.

'It must be made easier for people to voluntarily go green,' he said.