The dispute follows two missed grey bin collections around Back Ashworth Lane and neighbouring streets in Astley Bridge, which left some households without a collection for around a month.
The Bolton News reported additional recycling could placed in an untied bag next to the burgundy bin as those rounds would be intentionally missed.
Correspondence seen by The Bolton News shows residents were told through Cllr Hilary Fairclough that excess waste could be placed neatly alongside bins ahead of a recovery collection.
Cllr Fairclough said: “One resident, and there are many unhappy ones, decided to write to the officer, and didn’t get a response.
Cllr Hilary Fairclough has raised concerns about the handling of collections in the area. (Image: Public)
“What she did get this morning was an enforcement officer knocking on her door for fly-tipping.
“You really couldn’t make it up.”
Residents say they followed that instruction, but some black bags remained after the bins were eventually emptied on September 11.
One resident said in correspondence that her grey bin had not been emptied since August 12 and that she had already taken some additional rubbish and cardboard to the tip herself.
She subsequently contacted the council after bags left at the collection point remained uncollected.
Cllr Hilary Fairclough (Image: Newsquest | Joe Regent)
Cllr Fairclough says the resident did not receive the response she expected and was instead later visited by an enforcement officer in relation to alleged fly-tipping.
It is not currently clear whether any formal enforcement action will follow.
Cllr Fairclough said: “This is a shambolic service that lurches from one disaster to another. It’s beyond incompetence.”
“Residents are fighting week after week to get the service they pay for.”
The dispute comes during wider problems with bin collections across Bolton, which have led to hundreds of missed rounds and prompted an extraordinary council scrutiny meeting.
Residents say repeated missed collections led to waste building up in Astley Bridge (Image: Public)
Council officers told the meeting that staff sickness was just over 16 per cent during July and August, with the equivalent of 12.2 drivers and 10.6 loaders absent through sickness on August 16 alongside normal annual leave.
Director of Place Jon Dyson acknowledged the problems, telling councillors: “We as a place department will be the first to realise that this service has fallen short.”
Council leader Cllr Akhtar Zaman also agreed the situation had been “unacceptable” and said the authority was working on solutions.
In the meeting, Cllr Robert Morrisey, cabinet member for the environment, said the council had had fewer resources over the last 15 years but that the team was working hard to address the issues they faced.
The council has previously apologised for missed collections and said extra crews had been deployed on weekday evenings and Saturdays in an effort to clear backlogs caused by operational issues and higher-than-usual sickness.
Bolton Council has been approached to clarify the circumstances around this incident, but didn’t get back within the deadline.