Environmentally-friendly residents now need identification to throw their household rubbish away.

People who live in Epsom will have to take along a driving licence, utility bill or council tax bill otherwise they will be sent away from the Blenheim Road refuse tip and recycling centre.

Anyone living in another authority area who tries to sneak along with their rubbish will be sent to a tip nearer their homes.

The ID scheme has been introduced in a tit-for-tat rubbish battle between neighbouring councils to make sure they are not picking up the tab for disposing of refuse generated by residents outside their boundaries.

Surrey County Council says it will save up to £500,000 a year by ensuring it does not pay to dispose of waste created by non-residents.

The county’s taxpayers are paying out the sum every year to get rid of waste dumped by people living outside Surrey who come into the county to use waste disposal facilities.

In the past the impact on the county was less because Surrey residents living near the border would often use waste facilities in neighbouring authorities.

But councils such as Kingston, Merton, Croydon, Windsor and Maidenhead, Sutton, and Hounslow, have banned Surrey residents from using their waste disposal sites free of charge, but their residents have continued to use Surrey facilities without paying a penny.

The ID rule applies to the centres which are most likely to be used by non-Surrey residents: Epsom, Bagshot, Warlingham, Caterham and Shepperton.

Dr Lynne Hack Surrey County Council’s executive member for environment, said: “In the current financial climate, Surrey residents should not have to pay so much to dispose of waste they have not created.

“Our residents have been prevented from using waste facilities operated by many bordering councils so we have no choice but to do the same. It boils down to ensuring Surrey residents get the best value for money.”

Kingston charges a minimum of £39 for 400kg for rubbish from non-residents and has a sliding scale for more waste.

Merton and Sutton, and Windsor and Maidenhead will not accept rubbish from Surrey residents.

Croydon charges £4 per visit for non-residents, while Hounslow makes a whopping charge of £17 for 100kg.

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