Future household recycling and waste / bin collection services

The Government is introducing new laws aiming to reduce what we throw away and to increase reuse and recycling. These new laws set out how the Government wants to simplify recycling to help councils and residents to work together.

Under the new rules, households will need to separate food from other waste, and all councils will have to collect this separated food waste every week.

Because of this change – and because household bin collection arrangements with Biffa are coming to an end in May 2028 – the Council has been carefully considering how our household waste and recycling collection services should look in future.

We want to make sure that your services continue to be simple to use, reliable and cost effective, whilst also protecting our environment.

Your responses will help shape the future of black bin, recycling and food waste collections.

Food waste

In line with new rules, in future we will need to provide all households with containers for food waste, so that you can separate it from other waste. This will be collected every week. 

You will get a small kitchen caddy to put your food waste in, as well as a larger bin for food waste that you will need to put out for collection every week. If you put your waste into a communal bin now, in future you will transfer your food waste from your kitchen caddy to a new communal bin that will be provided just for food waste.

Your food waste will then be ‘treated’, generating electricity. This reduces our carbon emissions and helps our recycling rate.

Garden waste collections

The council’s paid for garden waste collection service will continue. Although there may be some changes to how it works, we aim to minimise the impact on people who use the service.

Assisted waste collections

Our policy on assisted waste collections will not change. If you currently have an assisted collection you will receive the same service under the new arrangements. Our aim is that services remain accessible and simple for everyone to use. Find out more about assisted collections.

Communal waste collections

If you live in a property with a communal waste collection – for example, a flat – the current arrangements will continue, with the addition of a separate weekly food waste collection.