Bins & recycling news
Collections, strikes, charges and the rules that change what goes in your bins — across the UK, updated daily.
South Norfolk food waste collections to start May 2026 at nearly £2m cost
Around 67,000 South Norfolk homes will receive kitchen caddies and outdoor containers ahead of new weekly food waste collections from May 2026.
CouncilDarlington Council urges residents to put food waste bin out every week, even if it is not full
Darlington Borough Council says some households are skipping their weekly food waste collection because they produce very little — but asks everyone to put the bin out regardless.
NewsBirmingham bin strike: deal 'agreed' to end 15-month dispute over pay and job roles
A deal is reported to have been agreed to end Birmingham's bin strike, which began in January 2025 and left tonnes of rubbish uncollected across the city.
CouncilFareham bin collection days set to change ahead of national recycling shake-up
Many Fareham households will see their bin day change later this year as the council prepares for England's Simpler Recycling rules due in March 2026.
NationalFlexible plastic kerbside collections delayed until 2030 in England
Councils in England will not be required to collect plastic film and flexible packaging from kerbside until April 2030, three years later than planned.
CouncilTamworth garden waste charge could rise from £36 to £41 a year
Tamworth Borough Council is set to vote on its first garden waste fee increase since 2017, with a rise to £41 proposed from October.
ConsultationTrafford council consults on £45 garden waste collection charge
Trafford residents are being asked for their views on a proposed £45 annual fee for garden waste collections, as the council seeks to close a £25m budget gap.
NationalFly-tipping fines in England to rise to £5,000 under new government plans
The maximum on-the-spot fine for fly-tipping in England is set to increase fivefold to £5,000, with littering fines rising to £750.
Service alertBCP Council food waste bins left unemptied for weeks during heatwave
Residents in Bournemouth and Poole have gone up to five weeks without a food waste collection, with bins filling with maggots and attracting flies and rats.
Service alertBirmingham bin strike: Labour MP says deal will happen 'when it gets done'
The 14-month Birmingham bin workers' dispute remains unresolved, with Labour MP Jess Phillips offering no firm timeline for a settlement.
Service alertBirmingham bin strike to continue until at least March 2026, Unite confirms
Birmingham residents face further months without normal bin collections after Unite voted overwhelmingly to extend the strike into 2026.
Service alertEaster 2025 bin collections: what changes for Portsmouth, Havant, Fareham, Gosport, Winchester and East Hampshire
Most areas across Hampshire will see no change to bin collections over Easter 2025, but Winchester residents face a one-day delay from Easter Monday.
NationalBattery and vape fires in UK waste system hit record high, tracker shows
Fires caused by batteries and vapes in bin lorries and recycling sites are rising sharply, with 2026 on course to be the worst year on record.
CouncilWarrington launches weekly food waste collections from 31 March
Warrington residents will get a new weekly food waste collection from 31 March, with caddies already being delivered to homes across the borough.
CouncilRedcar and Cleveland to begin weekly food waste collections from April
Households in Redcar and Cleveland will receive new caddies and containers ahead of weekly food waste collections starting in April 2026.
Service alertBirmingham bin strike could worsen as agency staff plan walkout from 1 December
Agency workers brought in to cover Birmingham's bin strike may walk out themselves, raising fears of even fewer collections across the city.
Service alertBirmingham bin strike may be nearing end after more than a year, says council leader
Council leader John Cotton says a negotiated settlement to end Birmingham's long-running bin strike is now 'within sight'.
NationalSix kitchen items banned from recycling bins under England's Simpler Recycling rules
England's new Simpler Recycling reforms mean drinking glasses, cookware, crockery, cutlery, pots and pans, and coffee pods can no longer go in your recycling bin.
Service alertColchester bin collections to start an hour earlier during hot weather spell
Colchester residents must have all bins at the kerbside by 6am from Tuesday 7 July due to forecast temperatures of around 30°C.
CouncilCheshire East Council to miss March deadline for weekly food waste collections
Residents in Cheshire East will not get weekly food waste collections by the 31 March 2026 legal deadline, with the council now aiming for autumn.
Service alertBirmingham bin strike extended until September as workers vote to continue action
Refuse workers in Birmingham have voted to extend their strike until at least September, meaning disrupted collections will continue into a second year.
Service alertBirmingham bin strike reaches one year with Government urging both sides to end deadlock
The Government has called on Birmingham City Council and Unite to resolve the bin strike, one year after workers walked out over pay.
NationalSimpler Recycling rules: 37 items now banned from household recycling bins in England
New Simpler Recycling rules took effect on 31 March, setting out dozens of everyday items that must not go in your recycling bin.
Service alertBirmingham bin strike timeline: where collections stand as dispute heads into festive period
Birmingham's bin strike, running since early 2025, has left recycling uncollected across the city and cost taxpayers at least £14m so far.
NewsBirmingham bin strike nears end after deal put forward to resolve 476-day dispute
A negotiated settlement to end Birmingham's bin strike is 'within sight', say the city council, after more than a year of disruption to collections.
Service alertBin collections delayed over Christmas and New Year across England, with Birmingham strikes ahead
Councils across England are shifting bin collection dates over the festive period, with some delays of up to six days. Birmingham faces strike action from January.
NationalGarden waste collection charges vary widely across UK, with some councils charging over £130 a year
Households in parts of Surrey, Hampshire and London face the highest garden waste subscription fees, while some councils offer free collections.
ConsultationLeicester residents asked for views on bin and recycling changes
Leicester City Council has launched a public consultation on changes to bin collections, including a new separate weekly food waste service.
NationalSimpler Recycling: What England's new bin rules mean for your household
Food waste, plastics, glass and card are now banned from general rubbish bins in England under Simpler Recycling rules that took effect on 31 March.
Service alertBirmingham bin strike: recycling still uncollected six months on as dispute continues
Residents in Birmingham are still struggling with uncollected recycling six months into an all-out bin strike, with general waste collections also patchy in some areas.
NewsBirmingham bin strike dominates local election debate among tram passengers
Residents travelling on the Midlands Metro named Birmingham's ongoing bin strike as their top concern ahead of local elections on 7 May.
NewsFood waste bin rollout delayed across Herefordshire and Worcestershire councils
Several councils in Herefordshire and Worcestershire cannot commit to introducing weekly food waste collections by the April 2026 legal deadline.
CouncilCrawley households to get weekly food waste collections this autumn
Crawley Borough Council is launching a weekly food waste collection service this autumn, with starter kits posted to homes beforehand.
Service alertEssex bin collection changes for May bank holiday week explained by council
Some Essex councils are shifting collections one day later for the week of 25 May, while others are running as normal.
NationalEngland bin collection rules to change from April with new recycling requirements
Households in England must separate food waste, dry recyclables and non-recyclables for collection under new rules taking effect from April.
Service alertAdur and Worthing bin collection days changing from Tuesday
Residents in Adur and Worthing are urged to check their new bin day as collection rounds change from Tuesday 6 May 2025.
Service alertBirmingham bin strike continues after nine months with no resolution in sight
Birmingham's all-out bin strike has lasted more than nine months, leaving residents without normal collections as a pay dispute rumbles on.
Service alertGreat Yarmouth bin collections at risk as workers threaten strike over pay
Around 100 refuse and street-cleaning workers could walk out within a fortnight in a dispute over pay, putting bin collections at risk.
CouncilShropshire garden waste charge set to stay regardless of election result
No party contesting Shropshire Council's May 2025 elections has promised to scrap the £56 annual garden waste fee in the short term.
Service alertHeatwave prompts early-morning bin collections across parts of England
Several English councils have moved collections to before dawn during the heatwave. Put your bins out the night before to avoid missing them.
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