BIN collections will become three-weekly in North Somerset from next year – saving an estimated £1.1 million.

The move, unanimously approved by North Somerset Council on July 17, will see the collections cut from every other week, with the rollout starting in 2025.

It is aimed at increasing recycling rates in the district and cutting costs, coming after an extensive public consultation earlier this year.

In 2010, the council introduced weekly kerbside recycling collections, including food waste.

However, an analysis of waste in black bins found almost half (45 per cent) could have been recycled.

And in an extra boost to recycling options, weekly kerbside collections of soft plastics – such as crisp packets and vegetable packaging – will be introduced alongside the cut in black bin collections.

A trial of a new recycling container will be conducted over the coming months, while North Somerset Environment Company (NSEC) crews will undertake refresher training to address issues highlighted in the consultation, such as littering and placement of returned containers.

A team of staff will also be available to advise people who may have concerns and need more support to recycle as much as they can.

People who may struggle with a three-weekly black bin collection due to medical needs, children in disposable nappies or a larger household will also receive additional support and could have different collections.

Cllr Annemieke Waite, the council’s executive member for waste, said: “These changes will deliver three key benefits. They will cut the cost to council taxpayers of waste disposal.

“They will boost further our recycling rates, which are already amongst the best, and introduce kerbside recycling of soft plastics.

“The plans will also provide additional support to households least able to manage their waste, including advice and bigger bins where that is needed.

“This year, we will need to spend around £5m to dispose of black bin rubbish, but almost half of this waste could instead be recycled and generate an income to help pay for vital local services.

“North Somerset residents already do a lot of hard work to recycle but it’s important we do more. Not only will that save council tax payers’ money, it will also help protect our environment.”

Somerset Council rolled out three-weekly bin collections in 2020 and has seen recycling rates rise

Treating and disposing of black bin rubbish costs local council tax payers around £130 per tonne. The council’s separated kerbside recycling collections result in a high quality of recycling material, which can be sold and made into new materials, generating an income of around £30 per tonne.

Last year, households in North Somerset generated a total of approximately 90,000 tonnes of waste, 40,000 tonnes of which was put in black bins. An estimated 18,000 tonnes of this could have been recycled instead.

The council said the new collections will generate an estimated saving of £1.1m a year thanks to a combination of reduced costs of black bin rubbish disposal and an increase in revenue from the sale of extra recyclable materials.

Weekly collections of food waste and recycling, plus an optional chargeable regular garden waste service, will be unchanged.

The move comes years after a similar system was introduced in the neighbouring Somerset Council area.

Mendip was the first district to rollout the change in October 2020 and in its first five weeks, contractor Suez said the amount of residual waste collected – black-bin rubbish – dropped by around 20%, while recycling waste increased by 11% – an extra 302 tonnes.

Across the county, by September 2022, the amount of plastic collected for recycling had risen from 270 tonnes each month in 2019/20, to 518 tonnes.

At the time, the increase was attributed to the successful rollout of Recycle More – which saw bin collections cut to once every three weeks.

Mickey Green, then-MD of the Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP), said: “We want great recycling to be part of everyone’s daily routine and in the Somerset DNA.

“These figures show how warmly residents have embraced Recycle More, and that has helped our recycling rate reach new heights. We can all be proud of what’s been achieved so far, but there’s still lots more we can do.”

North Somerset Council will be hoping the changes have a similar impact there and don’t end up in the bin…