One in ten councils in the UK are considering reducing their bin collection services.

Embargoed: 22:30 Tuesday 4th February 2025

• Over one in ten councils in the UK, 42, are considering reducing one or more bin collection services.
• Three councils (Bristol, Carmarthenshire, East Ayrshire) are considering changing residual waste collection to once every four weeks.
• Four councils (North Ayrshire, Dundee, Angus, East Ayrshire) are considering changing recycling collections to once every four weeks. 

New data from the TaxPayers’ Alliance reveals that forty-two councils, one in ten councils, in the UK are considering a cut on waste collection services in some form. This follows major backlash against Bristol Council’s consultation to extend residual waste pick-ups from fortnightly to four-weekly.

Over eight million people may experience some kind of bin change, of which almost five million people could see some kind of reduction to their residual waste in schedule, while over 800,000 could have their weekly recycling service cut to fortnightly or monthly. This is despite analysis from the TPA out yesterday in the Telegraph which revealed that households in 21 council areas faced average band D bills of over £2,500 from April

Examples include East Hertfordshire Council, which is considering reducing the frequency of residual (or general) waste collections from fortnightly to three-weekly, while also cutting bin sizes from 240 litres to 180 litres. East Ayrshire Council is introducing a three-bin recycling system and extending collection schedules from weekly to every four weeks. Meanwhile, both East Ayrshire and Carmarthenshire councils are proposing to lengthen their residual waste collection cycles from three weeks to four. Bristol Council is considering moving from fortnightly to four-weekly residual waste collections.

Angus council is proposing to move from a fortnightly recycling collection schedule to a four-weekly schedule. North Hertfordshire Council is considering introducing a new recycling bin and changing all waste collections to a three weekly schedule. 

In August 2024 the TPA published a comprehensive dataset of the number of bins that residents in each council are required to separate waste into. This revealed that in three councils (Blaneau Gwent, Cotswold and Merthy Tydfil), residents had to separate waste into ten separate containers.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LIST OF COUNCILS

Key findings:

• More than one in ten, or 42, councils are considering reducing the frequency of one or more bin collections. 
  • Thirteen councils plan to extend fortnightly residual waste collections to three-weekly.
    • Babergh Council, Caerphilly Council, Cheshire East Council, Dundee Council, East Dunbartonshire Council, East Hertfordshire Council, East Suffolk Council, Flintshire Council, Mid Sussex Council, North Hertfordshire Council, North Somerset Council, North Warwickshire Council, Teignbridge Council
  • Seven councils plan to cut their weekly residual waste collections to fortnightly.
    • Allerdale Council, Arun Council, Basingstoke & Deane Council, Birmingham Council, New Forest, Oadby and Wigston Council, Sandwell Council
  • Two councils plan to shift from three-weekly to four-weekly residual waste collections.
    • East Ayrshire Council, Carmarthenshire Council
  • Four councils  plan to cut their weekly recycling waste collections to fortnightly.
    • Lewisham Council, New Forest, Oadby and Wigston Council, Sandwell Council
  • Two councils plan to extend three-weekly recycling collections to four-weekly.
    • North Ayrshire Council, Dundee Council 
  • One council plans to extend fortnightly recycling waste collections to three-weekly.
    • North Hertfordshire Council
  • Ten councils are planning changes but proposed changes have not been released yet.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LIST OF COUNCILS

Joanna Marchong, investigations campaign manager of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:

“Residents will be left wondering what to do when the bin lorries don’t show up and the rubbish piles high.

“A shocking number of councils are considering cutting collections, which would leave people facing ever-growing mountains of waste.

“Town halls need to stop making a mess of basic services and focus on delivering what taxpayers pay for.”


TPA spokespeople are available for live and pre-recorded broadcast interviews via 07795 084 113 (no texts)


Media contact:

Joanna Marchong
Investigations Campaign Manager, TaxPayers' Alliance
[email protected]
24-hour media hotline: 07795 084 113 (no texts)

Notes to editors:

1. Founded in 2004 by Matthew Elliott and Andrew Allum, the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) campaigns to reform taxes and public services, cut waste and speak up for British taxpayers. Find out more at www.taxpayersalliance.com.
   
   
2. TaxPayers' Alliance's research council.
   
   
3. Information was obtained via an FOI request to all UK councils asking:
   1. How frequently are bins collected from residential properties? Please provide the frequency for each type of bin and the day its collected
   2. Is the council considering changing the frequency of bin collections?
   3. If so please provide the current frequency as well as the new proposed frequency.
      
      
4. A total of 244 councils provided a response to the Freedom of Information request in some capacity. 
   
   
5. The TPA has previously produced analysis revealing that some councils require residents to separate waste into as many as ten containers.