AN "IRRESPONSIBLE minority" of residents is putting one of Newport's most ambitious recycling projects in jeopardy.

A planned expansion of the green scheme has also been delayed because waste that should be recycled is being contaminated by household rubbish.

Now the city council is getting tough with those who are abusing the FAB scheme and threatening to take them to court.

People taking part in the pilot project are only supposed to put food, cardboard and garden waste in their orange top bins.

But the council have reported that bags of household rubbish - and even a car battery - have turned up in the waste sent to Wormtech in Caerwent for composting.

Until last month the scheme, launched in August last year for 8,000 households, had proved successful and the council and Wormtech were gearing up to expand it to all orange bin holders.

But recently vehicle-loads of FAB waste were contaminated with materials that could not be composted putting the current collections in jeopardy and delaying expansion of the scheme.

If non-compostable or dangerous substances find their way into the composting process the whole compost pile affected could have to be landfilled.

Councillor Ray Truman, Newport's cabinet member for community safety and sustainability, said the irresponsible actions of the minority were making it difficult to compost any of the FAB waste from 8,000 households, let alone all the city's orange bins.

"If this contamination continues, the worst case scenario would be stopping the scheme, which would be a drastic step back for Newport," he said

Now the waste team will be accompanying the collection staff and looking into every orange bin.

If the wrong materials are found in any orange bins, the resident responsible could face action under the Environmental Protection Act or could have their orange bin confiscated.

So far, the team have issued warnings to 170 residents, or removed their orange bins.