Recycling capacity
Thank you to all residents who have engaged with the new waste and recycling service. We have now completed two full collection cycles of both the red and blue recycling bins, providing our first opportunity to assess how the service is working in practice across the district.
Why Are We Reviewing Recycling Capacity?
During the development of the new service, feedback from our public consultation highlighted that some households may require additional support to manage the amount of recycling they produce. As a result, the Council's May 2025 Cabinet decision and the Household Waste and Recycling Collections Policy included provision for additional support measures, including additional recycling capacity for larger households where there is a demonstrated need.
We have already introduced one of these support measures through the Absorbent Hygiene Products (AHP) collection service and remain committed to delivering appropriate recycling capacity options for larger households.
Why Aren't Additional Recycling Bins Available Yet?
From the outset, the Council's approach was to review capacity requirements once the service had been introduced and residents had the opportunity to use it in real-life circumstances.
We have now collected our first month of operational data, which is providing valuable insight into participation levels, recycling volumes and how households are using the new service. However, one month of data does not provide a complete picture.
Waste and recycling levels naturally fluctuate throughout the year. Such factors below can all affect the amount of waste and recycling households generate:
- Seasonal changes
- School holidays
- Major sporting and community events
- Changes in household behaviour
- The transition period associated with a new recycling service
For this reason, we need to review a few more collection cycles before making decisions about additional recycling capacity. This will ensure that any future arrangements are based on robust evidence, reflect actual household needs and are applied fairly and consistently across the district.
What Happens Next?
Over the coming months, we will continue to:
- Monitor recycling and waste data.
- Analyse participation and collection trends.
- Review resident feedback.
- Assess how capacity requirements vary across different household types.
This information will help us determine the most appropriate additional recycling capacity options and how they should be made available to residents who need them most.
Our Commitment
We understand that some larger households may be concerned about recycling capacity and whether the current arrangements provide enough space to meet their needs. We want to reassure residents that reviewing options for additional recycling capacity remains a commitment of the Council and forms part of the policy framework agreed when the service was introduced.
As the service becomes established, we are continuing to monitor performance, review feedback and assess where additional capacity may be appropriate. The comments and experiences shared by residents are invaluable in helping us understand how the new arrangements are working in practice and will play an important role in shaping future improvements.
Our aim is to develop practical, fair and sustainable solutions that reflect the different needs of households across the district. We recognise that some larger households, or those with specific circumstances, may require additional capacity and we are designing the service to ensure residents can manage their waste and recycling effectively.
We are not considering any changes to collection frequencies, either now or in the future. Our focus is not on how often waste and recycling is collected, but on making sure households have the right level of capacity to meet their individual needs. By focusing on capacity rather than frequency, we can better support residents while maintaining a reliable, efficient and resident focused waste collection service, helping the district to recycle more and reduce waste.
For more information on the waste collections, please see our FAQ page.