Blackpool residents criticise three-weekly bin collection
They claim the changes are causing problems
Residents in Blackpool say the three-weekly bin and food caddy system, brought in this year, is directly causing terrible issues, with flies and odour.
And they say the problems are being made even worse by the heat, as the country is baked by a series of heatwaves.
The new food waste service started in April 2026, as part of the government’s Simpler Recycling initiative, where all councils are encouraged to work towards a recycling target of 65% by 2035.
The new system includes three-weekly cycle bin collections (instead of two weekly), for domestic waste, glass, plastic, paper and card; brown bins, instead of brown sacks and homes with wheeled bins receiving a 7-litre indoor kitchen caddy, a 23-litre outdoor food waste bin, with weekly collections.
But, while the green message has been praised by some, others say the practicalities of the system make it hard to work and say it is causing environmental problems of a different kind.
Concerns were raised at a PACT meeting in central Blackpool, which led to chairman, Brian Roberts, making a number of home-produced fly catchers, available for people plagued by swarms of fruit flies and bluebottles.
Mr Roberts says having to wait every three weeks for bins to be emptied is causing real problems for larger households, disabled people and dog owners, while he called the food caddies unhygienic.
And, elsewhere, community activist, William Banks, says the scheme discriminates against families with children, disabled people and even women and has formally complained to Blackpool Council.
WHAT OBJECTORS SAY
Mr Roberts, chairman of the Brunswick PACT meeting, said: “This is one of the main issues being brought to our meetings at the moment.
“One man with a disabled daughter whose condition means she needs to use the bin disposal a lot, says it has become a nightmare waiting for the bins to be emptied on the third week.
“People are complaining about an epidemic of fruit flies, house flies and blue bottles. Many have stopped using the food caddies.
“In our house, we’ve had the same problem and have used a 3d printer to create fly-catchers, plastic containers with apple cider vinegar and washing-up liquid. They draw in and catch the little flies and I handed 20 of them out at the PACT meeting and people want more.
“This new bin service was a good idea in principle but in practical terms it seems to be unworkable for quite a lot of people.”
Resident Annie Valentine, 59, of Danebury Place, says she has two dogs and is finding the three-week wait a major issue.
She said: “It’s a nightmare. I have dogs and having to wait three weeks, for the grey bin to be collected, is impossible. It’s unhygienic.
“The food caddies are another issue. The flies are in them and they are a magnet for maggots.
“I said right from the start that making it a three-weekly collection was a bad idea and that’s how it is working out. The heat is not helping either.”
William Banks sent a long letter to Blackpool Council, outlining his concerns about the system and says he is still waiting to reply.
In the letter he says: “I am writing to formally address and challenge the implementation of Blackpool Council’s new three-weekly waste collection cycle, introduced earlier this year.
“Under this revised schedule, the grey bin for general waste, the blue bin for plastic recycling, and the brown bin for cardboard are all collected on a three-weekly rotational basis, with only a small plastic food waste caddy collected weekly.
“While the council’s broader environmental objectives regarding recycling rates are understood, the practical application of this policy has created an untenable public health crisis and raises severe legal concerns.
“Specifically, this policy disproportionately penalises, discriminates against, and adversely affects specific protected demographics—namely families with children, households caring for disabled individuals, and biological women.
“This correspondence serves to highlight the severe deficiencies of this policy and evaluates its legality in the context of United Kingdom civil and criminal legislation, including the Equality Act 2010, the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and the Human Rights Act 1998.
“To contextualise the gravity of the situation, the three-weekly general waste cycle fails to account for the fundamental realities of household biology and hygiene.
“Families with multiple members, households with disabled individuals, who frequently generate higher volumes of medical waste, incontinence products and specialised packaging and households with biological women, who must dispose of sanitary products, are facing a compounding sanitation crisis.”
COUNCIL POSITION
Blackpool Council was approached for a comment.
Last month, in a progress update on the new service, the council outlined why it was proving a success.
The authority said that since April, more than 572 tonnes of food waste have been collected and recycled.
Over the first eight weeks, even more people were using the food waste collections, with tonnage increasing by 57%.
Collected food waste is now recycled and transformed into renewable energy and agricultural products, supporting both increased recycling and a greener future for Blackpool.
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment at Blackpool Council, Councillor Jane Hugo, said: “These early results show that people in Blackpool want to recycle and are responding positively to the new waste and recycling service changes.
“The introduction of weekly food waste collections is helping residents recycle more of their household waste while supporting national recycling targets and reducing the amount of waste that would otherwise be disposed of.
“Like any major service change, it doesn’t come without challenge. The transition has required residents to adapt to new arrangements, and we would like to thank everyone for their support and cooperation throughout the rollout.
“The early results demonstrate that residents are already making a real difference by recycling more and reducing waste.”