Purpose

At its meeting on 14 November 2025 Cabinet approved the award of the Council’s waste contract from April 2026 onwards including putting in place the necessary budget to fund the service and associated capital costs.
Cabinet made a delegation to the Portfolio Holder for Environment & ICT and the Corporate Director for Operations & Delivery to prepare an implementation and communications plan as part of the smooth transition and roll out of the new service. Ensuring residents are aware of the new requirements.
The contract includes the collection of additional dry recyclable material via 55 litre kerbside boxes. The additional material includes glass and cartons (Tetrapak) that residents are currently able to recycle via bring sites across the district. The transition to kerbside collection of these materials means that the 75 recycling bring sites across the district will no longer be required.
The budget set for the new contract assumed a rationalisation of recycling bring sites across the district and with the current contract for the provision and emptying of glass banks in the district set to expire on 31 January 2027 and the agreements relating to the textile and carton banks expiring from October 2026, it is planned to remove the banks, commencing in December 2026.
Implementation of the new waste and recycling collection arrangements is being made in accordance with an implementation timetable that has been developed jointly with Veolia. 1400 residents in rural and hard to reach areas have been receiving food waste collections from 1 April 2026. Communication via a variety of media is currently being undertaken alongside the delivery of 70,000 green boxes and lids that commenced on 17 August 2026 and will continue over a period of four weeks in readiness for the additional material being collected from the kerbside from 5 October 2026. Elected members and town and parish council clerks are also being provided with information about the new service during August so that they can support their local residents with any questions that may arise. A set of frequently asked questions has been written that will be further developed if additional questions arise.

Decision

To agree the implementation plan for new kerbside recycling arrangements and to the removal of recycling bring sites across the District.

Alternative options considered

This decision does not have any direct impact on matters relating to Local Government Reorganisation or Devolution.