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Households could be told to use see-though bin bags to allow a Welsh council see what people are throwing away, in what would be a UK first.

If given the go-ahead later this year, black bags given to Cardiff residents would be swapped for clear ones to help identify residents who aren’t recycling properly.

But opponents of the proposal fear the change could lead to neighbours snooping on each other’s private waste or even aid identity theft.

Councillor Ashley Govier, Cardiff council’s cabinet member for environment, said people found putting recyclable goods in the clear bags would receive a knock on the door from the council’s waste awareness team.

Persistent offenders would be hit with a fine.

With weekly green bag recycling and food scrap collections, as well as a special hygiene service for items such as nappies, Coun Govier said there was no excuse not to recycle properly.

“There is good evidence to say that we could change black bags to clear bags,” he said.

“The view is that it will help with education by identifying people who put incorrect items in their bags.

“It could well make people think twice about what they put in their bags – there is no need for people to be putting food waste, for example, in their black bags.”

Monmouthshire council last week scrapped a similar proposal after local opposition, just two weeks after hailing the proposal as a UK first.

It will instead swap its black bags for opaque bags.

Coun Govier, however, said recycling levels in Cardiff had plateaued at 52% this year and, with the Welsh Government setting a 58% target by 2015, new measures were needed.

He added: “There are still some people out there who are not recycling because, quite frankly, they cannot be bothered.

“We need people to understand that if they treat those bags properly they should be hardly filling them.”

Emma Carr, deputy director of privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch, said people shouldn’t have to be concerned that their private waste will be on show for the world to see, simply to allow government bureaucrats to check whether people are recycling.

“There is a clear danger that personal documents, like bank statements that haven't been shredded, will be on show, meaning there is a concern this could aid identity theft,” she said.

“Cardiff council should stop and take notice of the other councils in Wales that have stopped and listened to the audible concerns about the use of clear bags and have scrapped their plans to use them.”

Jayne Cowan, Independent councillor for Rhiwbina, Cardiff, said while she supported attempts to lift recycling rates, the idea was “a step too far”.

“We need to be mindful that some people have things such as incontinence pads. I know there are special collections, but not everyone uses them,” she said.

“I’m concerned people could be singled out by their neighbours and that it could cause some animosity in the community.

“Those people who have got black bins will be protected and put whatever they like in there, but people without bins will be penalised – so it’s not even a level playing field.”

Coun Govier said households with wheelie bins will be asked to use them for green bags to help protect recyclable goods from the elements.

The possible switch to clear bags is among a range of measures being considered to improve recycling and keep the city’s streets tidier.

The council is introducing a litter enforcement team in the city centre from August whose sole purpose will be to educate litterbugs and hand out on-the-spot £80 fines.

Green bags for recycling will also eventually be removed from non-council facilities – such as local shops – and only be distributed at council premises, such as libraries and household waste recycling centres.

A Welsh Government spokeswoman yesterday said it was for local authorities to decide what recycling collection service works best for their community.

“However, the Welsh Government has set ambitious recycling targets which require people to recycle more and reduce the amount of residual waste they send to landfill,” she said.