Waste Collection Consultation

Your views matter

We're making important changes to our waste collection services and want to hear from you. This consultation covers two key changes that will affect how you manage your household waste.  

• Food waste
• Cardboard collections

Consultation period: 27 June until 12:00 noon on 8 August 2025 (6 weeks) 

Change 1: Food Waste 

What's happening? 

From 31 March 2026, all Councils in England must introduce a separate weekly food waste collection service.  This means that food waste will be collected separately in a designated food waste caddy, in addition to existing recycling and rubbish collections.  By collecting food waste separately, we can generate cheap and clean energy, turn waste products into fertiliser for farmers, cut greenhouse gas emissions, boost recycling, and reduce disposal costs. This is good for residents, good for our environment, and good for present and future generations across our district. It will also serve as a timely reminder of how much food we throw away and how we can all save money by reducing waste. 

What you'll receive: 

• 7-litre kitchen caddy - for collecting food waste indoors 
• 23-litre outdoor caddy - for storing food waste outside ready for collection 
• Weekly collections on your designated collection day

How it works: 

Line your kitchen caddy with a compostable or any plastic bag; either compostable or non-compostable is fine.  When full, transfer the sealed bag to your outdoor caddy for weekly collection.  Food waste must be bagged.  All bags, including compostable bags, will be removed mechanically at the food waste recycling facility. 

Will the Council provide liners? 

Providing caddy liners to all households would cost approximately £30,000 per year - a significant expense that would need to be funded through Council Tax. Instead, we're considering providing a free starter pack of approximately 50 liners to help you get started, after which you can choose the most suitable and cost-effective liners for your household needs. 

Change 2: Excess Cardboard  

Current service: 

We currently collect excess cardboard placed at the side of the recycling bin if it's broken down into manageable pieces. This is collected fortnightly with your recycling. 

What's changing? 

From 1 November 2025, all excess cardboard must fit inside your recycling bin with the lid closed. Cardboard left next to the bin will no longer be collected. 

• All cardboard must go inside your recycling bin 
• The recycling bin lid must close properly 
• No cardboard left at the side of the bin will be collected 

Why we're making this change:

Safety: To protect our crews all cardboard must now be fully contained within recycling bins.  The safety or our crews must remain our top priority.   

Better quality recycling: Cardboard inside bins stays clean and dry, improving recycling quality. Wet or contaminated cardboard left outside can't be recycled properly.

Cleaner streets: Cardboard and other packaging materials like polystyrene and plastic bands often escape into the environment when left loose. 

Your options for managing cardboard: 

• Break down boxes by cutting up, flattening and folding cardboard to maximise space in your existing bin 
• Store excess cardboard until your next scheduled collection 
• Home compost your cardboard 
• Take excess cardboard to the local Recycling and Household Waste Site/tip. 
• Upgrade to a larger/additional bin (you will need to be eligible, and charges may apply) 
• Pay for a bulky waste collection (charges apply) 

Have Your Say