A New Forest man has been left “shocked” after being handed a £1,000 fine for leaving a box of cardboard next to an overflowing recycling bin outside of Tesco.
Lee Reynolds said he felt physically sick after receiving the enforcement notice days later.
Mr Reynolds, who had recently moved house, took some cardboard boxes to nearby community recycling facilities.
But arriving at the Tesco in New Milton, Hants, he found the bins overflowing and waste strewn across the ground.
New Forest District Council, Hants, claims that bins are emptied three times weekly, but photographs showed all four overflowing with rubbish.
Mr Reynolds placed his box neatly in front of the bin and picked up nearby litter.
Less than a week later, however, he received a fly-tipping fine for “illegally depositing waste outside of a designated recycling facility”. He received the maximum penalty of £1,000 for the offence.
The “law-abiding resident” appealed the fine and was told that it would be transferred to a “failure to control household waste” offence as the waste was “out of control”.
He was told that the new fine would be £300, reduced to £150 if paid before 3 July.
“The bins were full to overflowing and there was no available capacity for additional cardboard,” Mr Reynolds said.
“I did not see any instructions or signage warning against leaving recycling adjacent to full containers; if signage exists, it was not visible due to the volume of waste already present.
“Having checked all containers and found no available space, I placed my box neatly and safely in front of a bin in the corner, without obstructing access, and I also picked up nearby litter to leave the area in as tidy a condition as possible.
“I am a law-abiding resident and have not previously been subject to any fines or penalties by the council or any other authority.
“For that reason, the notice came as a shock; particularly as my intention was to recycle responsibly.”
A spokesperson for New Forest District Council said: “The recycling containers at this site are emptied three times a week and are intended for residents to dispose of small quantities of recycling.
“Residents are also able to recycle from home using their green-lidded recycling bin.
“In addition, the council can collect a small bundle of cardboard placed next to the green-lidded recycling bin on the scheduled collection day, provided it is flattened and left in dry weather.
“For larger quantities of recycling, residents are encouraged to use one of the local Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs) at Marchwood, Efford or Somerley.
“While we recognise that many residents are keen to recycle and dispose of their waste responsibly, placing waste next to full containers at the community recycling sites is fly-tipping.
“Fly-tipping and failure to control household waste is an offence and not only unsightly, but causes environmental hazards. It can also lead to additional costs for the council, for example, where waste becomes contaminated and cannot be recycled.
“We have seen an increase in fly-tipping at this location and have been working to address this through education and awareness.
“The site was remodelled and additional signage was installed on 20th May 2026, prior to this incident.”
