Sydney bins could soon require permits in crackdown against bad kerbside etiquette

Sydneysiders could soon require a permit to leave their bins out on the kerb as part of a crackdown against bad waste behaviour.

City of Sydney Councillor Adam Worling moved a motion at Monday's council meeting after he noticed dozens of bins left out on the footpath and street long after collection day.

He said the bins created an odour, were a hazard for drivers and pedestrians — especially those with mobility issues — and they became an environment for vermin.

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It also encouraged others to pile on extra rubbish, which could be put into the wrong bin, and contributed to littering when the bins were knocked over.

Worling's motion suggested a permit system for bins, which would only allow residents without any space to store their bins to keep theirs out.

"There are terrace houses that step straight onto the footpath, or they don't have a backyard, so there's nowhere to store it," he said.

"In those situations, you can ask for permission to have your bin stored on the street."

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Worling proposed new labels for all bins, specifying whether the resident had permission to leave it out and what address the bin belonged to.

"If we want people and we want the community to do the right thing, we just have to give them the guidelines to it. It's that simple," he said.

Worling's motion was unanimously passed at the meeting on Monday.

The council will now investigate a programmed response to deal with the issue, noting his suggestions.

The move is part of the city's broader plan to tackle waste-based issues, including the correct disposal of waste and creating a solution to saturated landfills.

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Harold Scruby, chief executive of the Pedestrian Council of Australia, said the bins were "very dangerous" to both pedestrians and motorists.

"It's a very difficult problem," he said.

"I see it as a problem, but for a council that's done nothing about every food delivery rider that rides on the footpath, which is much more dangerous, I don't expect they're going to do anything."

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