Leicestershire set to see major bin overhaul as new system approved
A new bin dedicated for foils, aerosols and cans will be gradually released
Major bin changes are to be rolled out in part of Leicestershire within the coming months after approvals by council bosses.
North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) is set to roll out a new bin system across the district in phases, with roughly 12,500 households at a time, after the authorities’ cabinet met and approved the changes on Tuesday (July 28).
The new bins will replace the current bags-and-boxes system in the district, with initial collections covering households on a Wednesday in Coalville, Whitwick, New Swannington, Hugglescote and Thringstone.
Council officers have said the rationale for these areas being chosen first is due to their “close proximity to the council’s waste and recycling depot”, “it fits within a single collection day”, “includes a broad mix of housing types and demographics” and “aligns with some of the council’s existing food waste and FlexCollect trials operating in the area”.
The new bin system, which will begin in November, will then be slowly phased through other parts of the district until 2027, with a further 12,500 households every four months.
Residents will receive a 180L orange-lidded bin for plastics, cans, tins, foil, aerosols, and glass and a 180L blue-lidded bin for cardboard and paper.
This will sit alongside the standard black bin for non-recyclable waste as well as the garden waste bin. Households will also get two silver containers for food waste – a seven-litre indoor kitchen caddy and a 23-litre outdoor kerbside caddy for the new rollout.
As part of the changes, NWLDC has also said it will no longer collect textiles – that’s despite collecting seven tonnes worth of them each year.
Officials said this move was due to “low quality” textiles being collected, meaning they can’t be reused and are in fact being incinerated.
With the impending local government reorganisation set to take place, council officials have said containers will have no branding applied, and the vehicles will have simple transfer applications that can easily be changed in the future.
Councillor Michael Wyatt, deputy leader at NWLDC, said: “I have advocated for the introduction of a simpler recycling system to replace the boxes and bags for many years, so I am very pleased that it will soon begin rolling out to households in the phase one area.
“This cabinet decision is the culmination of a huge amount of work by officers, waste crews, support staff, partner organisations and councillors.
“We’ll contact everyone in the phase one area soon with plenty of details about what to expect and how to make the switch.”