RECYCLING bins will be installed in town centres across the borough, despite misgivings from opposition cabinet members.

Council chiefs plan to install five bins in the centre of Brierley Hill, Dudley, Halesowen, Sedgley and Stourbridge and two in each of the borough's wards in a bid to encourage recycling and tackle the environmental threat of plastic contamination.

Purchasing the bins was predicted to cost £50,000 with £5,000 for installation in a report put before cabinet on February 11.

Cllr Karen Shakespeare, opposition Conservative Group Spokesperson for Environmental Services, questioned why the ruling Labour group were installing the bins after removing them from town centres two years ago.

She told the cabinet: “Labour took away recycling bins two years ago because they were causing problems with anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping. I really feel this has been put together on the hoof."

Council leader Cllr Qada Zada responded to her criticism with: "You need to start to have faith in the people of Dudley. I’ve never known a bin to cause anti-social behaviour.

He added: "We are as serious about recycling as we are about anti-social behaviour."

Council chiefs have stressed that they are installing recycling bins, as opposed to recycling points which were removed three years ago.

Cllr John Martin, cabinet member for the environment, said that Cllr Shakespeare was 'confused' about the plan.

He explained: "We removed recycling points three years ago, these were large metal containers for clothes and old shoes. What we found was they were not being used and some places in the borough people were getting on top of them and making a noise."

He assured residents that the new bins will not attract anti-social behaviour as they will replace existing bins in town centre, rather than being placed in the same spot as the old points.

Cllr Martin added: "They won't take up additional space and won't be in the same place as the recycling points."

He said he hoped the bins would improve the borough's recycling rate, as 40% of residents currently do not recycle at all.