Update 6.05pm: Greyhound waste company, who issued the €30 fines to customers, say people were given plenty of time to change their ways.

People have received fines from waste companies for as little as having a teabag or a couple of biscuits in their green bin.

Greyhound Recycling, which have 120,000 customers in Dublin, have issued fines to customers in Dublin - and warned their bins will be removed if contamination continues.

In a statement, the company said that only bins that are consistently heavy over a long period are selected for monitoring.

"The householder is then informed in writing that their green bin is being monitored and are provided with ample time to change the way they segregate their waste," they said.

"When their bins are checked and are found to be contaminated, pictures are taken and a surcharge is issued. The householder is then given 14 days to appeal," they added.

Greyhound said that for every 100 tonnes of waste for recycling, 40% consists of "faeces covered nappies, rotten food and garden waste".

When that is the case, the whole bin-load can not be recycled.

Latest: A family have been fined by waste companies for having Toffeepop biscuits in their green bins.

Companies have been fining people for having food in the green bin, though many people feel it's unfair.

One family complained of getting a 30 euro fine for having a teabag in the wrong bin.

Nicola McHugh from Ballyfermot said people put things in her bin while it's on the street, and feels she shouldn't have to pay for it.

"When I rang them I asked them what was wrong with the bin and they said that they had video evidence that there were 4 Toffeepop biscuits in the bin," said Ms Mc Hugh.

"My bins are kept in the front garden, the kids are using the bins constantly. I don't see why I should have to pay this fine to have my bins collected again."

Earlier: People have received fines from waste companies for as little as having a teabag or a couple of biscuits in their green bin.

Greyhound Recycling, which have 120,000 customers in Dublin, have issued €30 fines to customers in Dublin - and warned their bins will be removed if contamination continues.

People Before Profit say it is an example of waste companies acting like cartels.

TD Brid Smith said they are "robbing people blind."

She said that it was necessary for bin companies to allow for a certain level of contamination to allow for human error and other people throwing rubbish in your bin on the street.

"There has to be an allowance for a certain level of contamination which they aren't taking cognisance of because they are private companies and they think they can speak like this to people and to bully them," said Ms Smith.

Greyhound is part of several bin companies including Panda Waste and The City Bin Co who have begun to introduce charges n householders who contaminate “green-bin” recyclables with “black-bin” waste.

Greyhound Recycling did not have anybody available for comment.