Council to reduce recycling collections to every three weeks

[Allshallbewell2021]

I saw this in the fine print coming to us for spring 2025.

Fortnightly for black bins and every three weeks for recycling.

I get it - they're all completely broke.

I think the whole recycling message was a mistake. We should have all been "taught" to produce far less waste (including the manufacturers and their packaging), rather than thinking it's all OK as long as it's recycled.

Our general waste is once a fortnight and recycling weekly ATM, in reusable bags that are rubbish because they blow about. There are lots of complaints that the bins aren't big enough, but I don't think we're particularly careful to reduce waste and they're plenty big enough for our family of 4, rarely more than half full.

I was at a council meeting last night where the leader of our borough council said that everywhere in England will have weekly food waste collections by 2026 because of a statutory change (we don’t yet have it here). I imagine that this would be combined with a reduction in the frequency of landfill waste collections.

TBF it is only the food waste that needs collecting weekly. Bins don't smell if there's no food in them. Except nappies, I've no idea how we'd have coped with one small wheely bin a fortnight and adult nappies, when caring for DH.

I won't be storing what little food waste we have.. our council tried this and abandoned it as the uptake was minimal

If they want to reduce waste collection they need to reduce the amount we generate.. the vast quantities of wrappings, bags, paper and cardboard on anything we buy or order

We didn't have a lot (or so I thought) as we compost some and the dog eats some leftovers but the food waste bin has really reduced our general waste. Still not sure I could go three weeks between collections though. Saying that, it used to be unlimited black bags weekly and we got used to the fortnightly wheelie bin.

We've had it every three weeks for a year now and it's hell. Waste also every three weeks too.

Presumably you store it for up to a week (in the bin) now? Food waste is collected weekly, you'll be "storing" it longer if you put it in the general waste?

Our bins have been collected every 3 weeks for a couple of years. I was very concerned when it first started but they gave us much bigger recycling bins which are collected fortnightly and it hasn't been an issue.

We have weekly recycling and food. Rubbish is fortnightly. Works okay

We have a Fill Your Own shop. You bring own containers so no plastic or packaging waste

@Greyat they gave us a little bucket to collect it in; no way is that staying in my kitchen for a week.

Any unused fruit/veg/salad goes in our garden waste bin (which I'll soon be paying for), the birds get anything suitable and what's left is wrapped and in with the general rubbish.

@Caroparo52 I would use one if we had one.. I buy loose fruit and veg where I can, but the rest is still so much.

Mine lives outside the backdoor. You'll regret keeping food waste in the general bin for 3 weeks.

There's no way I'm keeping unwrapped food in a bucket outside . It will be well wrapped and in my wheelie bin.

Gosh that is ... rubbish (sorry) service.

Where are you - UK?

We only have a waste bin. We have to take all our recycling to the recycling centre ourselves. Once every three weeks would be bliss.

Ours has changed in the last few months.

general waste
Paper/cardboard recycling only
plastics and most other recycling

One each week so 3 weeks per bin.

Food waste caddy every week.

The main problem is the paper/cardboard bin is so much lighter now that they frequently blow over in our awful weather. Most folk have bin straps now but if they don't, stuff goes everywhere.

We're every four weeks as well (Scotland), garden/food waste is fortnight though - you have to pay for garden waste. We have four wheely bins, two for recycling and a glass box.

To be honest it's generally okay for us - 2 adults and a toddler - but is sometimes borderline. Closest tip (30 min away) has to be pre booked and is only open 5-7pm through the week and 10-1 on Saturday (closed Sunday) so not very handy either!

We have recycling and waste collected every 2 weeks on an alternating cycle (so one week recycling and the next week waste).

Food waste collected every week through which is good. And garden waste (which we have to pay for) is every 2 weeks during the summer months.

You would be very surprised how much food waste you actually have tbh, unless you live on microwave meals or are a single person.

We are a family of 4 and throw "virtually no food" away e.g. there is literally never any leftovers thrown away in this house and we eat everything we buy before it goes off. However, I easily fill my food waste caddy once (if not twice) a week, just with peelings and ends of onions, courgettes, carrots, chicken carcass/bones etc.

The council here have forced everyone to use the food waste caddy by reducing the size of our general waste bins. I couldn't believe how much food waste was generated just by peelings and odds and ends.

Edited to add: I store my caddy on the kitchen worktop and line it with compostable bags (which I pay for from aldi) Then I tie the bags and transfer to the larger food and garden waste wheelie bin when the caddy is full. And then I wash the caddy. No smells, no problems.

The food caddy has a 7 litre capacity.

I won't be storing what little food waste we have.. our council tried this and abandoned it as the uptake was minimal

Me neither.

Uncooked vegetable waste is already added to the allotment compost. I am not having cooked waste hanging around and - more to the point - I already have to have 3 indoor waste bins and 4 full size wheely ones outside. I have no more room for any more.

If they want to keep adding more and more recyling options, they need to address housebuilding so that there is easy access and space for 4+ wheely bins because apparently they cannot be stored in front of my house (covenant) and I can only just about manage the constant juggling of four of them behind the house and down the passageway each week.

I also take soft plastics to Tesco to recycle

Forgot to mention this - yes I take a bag a week to our local Coop to recycle too. It really does cut down on what goes in our bin.

Yep, as I said earlier, I already put peelings and odd bits of veg and salad in the garden bin. That's as far as I'm going.

I understand people being like WTF about it, because I was skeptical when they brought it in near us, however it works really well.

And it will be forced upon you whether you like it or not.