Major waste collection service changes
Important changes to the waste and recycling services provided to households have been approved by Blaby District Council leaders.
At this week’s Cabinet Executive meeting, members backed plans to introduce a weekly food waste collection as well as agreeing to stop the collection of extra cardboard left at the side of bins.
The move came following feedback from residents during a recent six-week Waste Collection Service Consultation.
Overall, there was support for both changes, with eight out of 10 respondents saying they rarely or never put out excess cardboard and seven out of 10 saying they don’t expect to be impacted by this change.
For food waste six out of 10 respondents said they were very or fairly likely to use the new service. However, just over half were opposed to the introduction of the service, despite the move being a directive from central Government as part of its Simpler Recycling reforms.
Cabinet’s approval means, in line with the Government mandate, from 30 March 2026 a new weekly household food waste recycling collection will begin.
Early next year households will receive two food waste caddies - a 7litre kitchen caddy for inside, a lockable 23litre one for outside, along with a starter pack of 50 kitchen caddy liner bags and an information leaflet. More information on the service will be available on the Council’s website soon.
Side waste cardboard collections will cease from November this year with all cardboard needing to be placed inside the bin with the lid closed.
Mitigations are in place for vulnerable residents who already get help and may need assistance breaking down cardboard, while eligible households may request a larger or extra recycling bin to cope with any extra cardboard. Fees may be chargeable.
Councillor Nigel Grundy, Blaby District Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services and Assets, said: "These are important changes to our waste collection services which we hope residents will support. The consultation has allowed us to review our plans and act on concerns.
"While the new food waste recycling collection is mandated by Government we believe it will be beneficial for the District and are keen for residents to get on board. As well as increasing our recycling rates it will help prevent food waste going unnecessarily to landfill, diverting it instead into a recycling stream which will deliver sustainable energy and valuable fertiliser for crops.
"Ensuring all cardboard waste is only collected when it is inside the recycling bin will help keep our streets tidier as the cardboard can’t get blown away. It will also ensure the safety of our crews as they won’t be manually loading waste which can prove hazardous close to moving machinery."
Councillor Nigel Grundy
Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services and Assets