One in ten UK councils may cut bin collections, impacting almost five million people. Changes will affect collection schedules and recycling services.
Bin collection schedules may shift. Over 800,000 might get less recycling service. Recycling could become fortnightly or monthly. Bristol, Carmarthershire, and East Ayrshire could change. They may pick up trash monthly.
North Ayrshire, Dundee, and Angus are also thinking about changes. Recycling might become a monthly event. East Hertfordshire might pick up trash every three weeks. They could reduce bin sizes.
Bins could shrink from 240 to 180 litres. Councils will receive new instructions from 2026. Councils can only give out four containers. These can be bags or bins.
One is for non-recyclable waste. Another is for food and yard waste. Paper and cards get their own. Other recyclables get a bin too. This bin change addresses confusion. It clarifies the Environment Act 2021.
The Act defined recyclable materials like glass. Metals, plastic, paper, card, and food count too. Councils gave out separate bins before. Each material had its own bin. There were also bins for waste.
Ministers think this simplifies the system. They hope it improves recycling. Joanna Marchong works for the TaxPayers’ Alliance. She said people will wonder what to do.
Trash could pile up too. Many councils consider cutting collections. People could face growing waste. Town halls need to fix services. They should deliver what people pay for.