Wigan Council is pioneering a new approach to tackling waste contamination, with a focus on education and long-term behavioural change rather than simply penalising residents. Recognising that waste recycling, can be confusing for many, the council’s Environmental Education & Enforcement Team has launched a waste contamination course to help people better understand recycling and encourage more responsible practices.
The Problem – The cost of getting recycling wrong
Wigan Council faces a major challenge: when residents contaminate their recycling bins, it leads to high costs with potential fines from the recycling companies the waste is sent to. Contaminated bins means valuable recyclables have to be discarded, resulting in unnecessary expenses. Traditional approaches, in the form of fines to residents that offend, intended to encourage better recycling, are often ineffective, as many residents refuse to pay. This leads to costly legal processes that rarely achieve the desired outcomes. The issue is clear: a punitive approaches aren’t creating lasting change.
The Solution – Bespoke training on waste contamination
Last year, the council partnered with Me Learning to develop a bespoke training course on waste contamination, designed using the council’s branding and language.
Instead of fining residents for contaminated bins, the council now offers them the option to either pay the fine or avoid the cost and take the free digital training course that educates them on proper recycling, similar to the approach taken for speed awareness courses. This innovative educational approach provides a new solution to a long-standing problem.
The team also worked with our Learning Consultant, John Brewder, to create an independent Learning Management System (LMS) dedicated to this project, which allows the council to quickly deliver the course to residents. This dedicated LMS enables the council to offer the course to an unlimited number of residents each year.
After the success of an initial trial concentrating on a small localised area of the borough, the council found that direct engagement with residents, explaining the reason for the course the offer to avoid a more costly alternative was very popular and served to reduce cross contamination of the refuse being collected by their crews. The subsequent decision to roll out the initiative across the entire borough was an easy one to make.
The Benefits
The results have been impressive with over 270 residents enrolled in the course in just the first 12 months. The course serves to ensure that residents have a better understanding of the importance of proper recycling and the impact on the council of contaminating their waste. This approach encourages positive change, rather than merely punishing residents for mistakes.
A recent, major highlight of this new initiative rewarded the effort the Environmental Education & Enforcement Team has gone to when their nomination for the ‘Enforcement Excellence Award’ at the Keep Britain Tidy Awards in 2025 resulted in the team being awarded first prize. The award recognises the team’s broader efforts to innovate and lead the way in environmental education in Wigan and the awareness course played an important part in their bid for recognition. This is a clear testament to the impact Wigan is having in shaping a more sustainable future.
What sets Wigan apart from other councils is the focus on education first. The council understands that when it comes to recycling, many residents are simply unsure of what goes in which bin, especially with complex rules around materials like plastics. The course helps clarify the recycling process, making it easier for residents to participate. This thoughtful approach has proven far more effective than relying solely on fines.
Dave Lyon, Assistant Director – Environment and Housing Operations says:
“Waste contamination poses serious environmental and financial challenges. Our goal is to reduce contamination, cut associated costs, and boost recycling rates.
Wigan was the first UK council to launch a ‘household waste awareness course’ – part of our Safer Streets initiative with Me Learning. This innovative approach was quickly rolled out across the Borough to support our teams in addressing contamination. Importantly, we chose not to penalise residents who engaged with the course and committed to responsible waste management.
We’re now reviewing the course to ensure it remains relevant and accessible to more residents. This forms part of a broader strategy to drive behavioural change and improve recycling outcomes.”
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, Wigan plans to expand the course and further engage the community. Currently, access to the course is led by the council for contamination offenders, but the next step could involve incorporating more of the community and making access more generally available to ensure that it is as accessible and impactful as possible.
The council’s investment in this initiative has already had a significant positive impact, demonstrating that a small investment can lead to a big change with potential for even greater results in the future.
Wigan is leading the way in making recycling simpler, more understandable, and more effective. Through innovative thinking and a commitment to education, they are proving that there is a better way to tackle waste contamination, one that brings the community on a journey of learning and improvement.
If you would like to find out more, please contact John Brewder, Digital Learning Consultant at Me Learning or learn more about our bespoke digital training and other solutions.
