Why the new system?
We have committed to replacing the old boxes and bags recycling system with a simplified system of wheeled bins – the option which was overwhelmingly favoured by residents who responded to our survey in 2024.
Added to this, the Government has said that all local authorities in England and Wales must begin weekly household food waste collections from this year.
To ensure the launch of the new system is easy to understand, we want to start the new recycling bin collections and food waste collections at the same time for households in each phase.
That’s why we’re doing this – it’s the biggest change to our household waste and recycling collections in a generation, so we must get it right.
What has caused this delay?
There were a couple of issues which happened around the same time which meant we have had to delay the launch.
The first was due to an issue with the contract to produce and supply the new wheelie bins themselves.
Unfortunately, this issue couldn’t be resolved in time, so we have had to start the process of awarding this contract again and are now well underway with this.
The second reason was a delay to the delivery of the new fleet of food waste collection vehicles.
This was due in part to global manufacturing and supply chain constraints that have worsened since we awarded the contract to the manufacturer.
We are working with our partners to resolve these issues as quickly as we can, but it will take a bit more time.
What happens next?
So, please continue to bear with us. We are working hard to put everything in place to make the rollout as smooth as possible whilst also sticking as closely as we can to the original plan to move across to the new system in phases over the course of the next year.
We realise that, for most of you, the main question is ‘when will I receive the new bins?’
We also understand that this delay is frustrating, but we are working hard to look at when each area of the district will switch to the new system, and we will be in touch with you directly when we know.
Thank you for your patience.
A message from Councillor Michael Wyatt
Councillor Michael Wyatt, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Community and Climate Change at NWLDC, said: “As many residents will know, I have advocated for a long time to replace the current boxes and bags with a simplified and more fit-for-purpose recycling system.
“It is frustrating that we have had to delay our plans to launch the new collections into next year because of issues with the production and delivery of the new bins and food waste collection vehicles that were beyond our control.
“Launching a district-wide change to a key service such as this is a huge undertaking and means there will be unexpected issues we must overcome.
“However, we are working hard with our partners to plan ahead and get everything ready to begin the first phase of the rollout from early 2027.
“This is a huge project for the council, and it's imperative that we do it properly.
“We will have another update soon – but in the meantime, I'd like to thank you for your patience and we look forward to sharing more details when we can.”
|
