A controversial random inspection in Melbourne has sparked a debate online after residents started noticing 'warnings' on their recycling bins.

On Thursday, a resident in the city's north uploaded a photo to Reddit of a bin on their street with a warning label saying they had not recycled their plastics correctly.

The council's Bin Inspection program is done randomly throughout the Moreland municipality. Credit: Reddit

The council's Bin Inspection program is done randomly throughout the Moreland municipality to "ensure residents are putting the right items in the right bin and to reduce the impact of contamination".

If inspected, the resident will have one of three types of stickers left on their bin.

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Those with no contamination will receive a 'thank you' sticker.

Contaminated bins have a notice that starts 'Oh no...' and either receive a 'warning' or 'rejected' sticker.

Bins with rejected stickers are not collected.

While many resident support the inspection program, others have pointed out some flaws, claiming other people put the incorrect items in their bins.

"Someone put plastic packaging in my organic bin, that's definitely not supposed to go there. Wasn't just a little either and it's not the first time," one person wrote.

While many resident support the inspection program, others have pointed out some flaws. Credit: Simon McGill / File image: Getty

Another said: "I live next to a 24 hours McDonald's and there's pubs all around. If people aren't throwing trash in my front yard they'll definitely put it in the bin."

Some complained their streets are littered with the labels and are concerned about the bins not being collected.

Moreland City Council is a municipality in the inner north of Melbourne,covers 50 square kilometres with over 160,000 people.

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It covers Brunswick, Coburg, Glenroy, Pascoe Vale, Fawkner and Oak Park.

"When a recycling bin is contaminated with incorrect items, the recycling and food and garden organics process becomes less efficient and can result in valuable resources being sent to landfill rather than being reused or recycled," Director City Futures, Kirsten Coster said in a statement to 7NEWS.com.au.

"This causes both financial and environmental loss."