Residents in part of Leicestershire being asked choose from three new recycling bin options

Residents in one part of Leicestershire are being asked to have their say on the future of recycling in the area.

Residents in one part of Leicestershire are being asked to have their say on the future of recycling in the area. North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) is considering changing the current system, which has been in place for 20 years, and replacing it with new containers.

At the moment, most people in the district use separate wheelie bins for rubbish and garden waste, a box for plastics and cans, another for glass, bags for paper and bags for card. This system has helped the council makeup to £1 million a year from selling separated recycling materials, a spokesperson for the authority said.

Now, NWLDC wants to know what residents think about three new options: two wheelie bins for separated recycling; a stackable recycling trolley with three separate boxes on a wheeled frame (residents would get two of these); or a Quatro bin, which is a wheelie bin divided into four sections for different types of recycling.

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The council is running a consultation on the options for eight weeks from today, Monday, February 19. Since 2019, the council’s Recycle More campaign has seen around 500 volunteers across the district testing different recycling containers – a stackable trolley and a trolley with drawers.

Residents’ feedback on both trials and reviews of what is available on the market has led NWLDC to propose the three options featured in the consultation. The review of the council’s recycling and waste collection service will help NWLDC plan for an increasing population, changes in recycling habits and prepare for changes in collection requirements, said the spokesperson.

The government has announced that from 2025, local authorities will need to collect food waste and cartons at the kerbside, along with a future requirement to collect plastic wrapping and film. The results of the consultation will be reviewed by the council’s waste service, before a recommendation is presented to the council’s Cabinet. The authority will then draft a plan for introducing the new system in line with government changes, the spokesperson said.

Councillor Michael Wyatt, NWLDC portfolio holder for community and climate change, said: “We know residents are committed to supporting the environment and recycling as much as possible, but we also know there are strong feelings about our current system of red boxes and bags. One of the reasons why I took the post of portfolio for community and climate change was to deliver a much cleaner and greener system.

“The current system is not environmentally friendly. In fact, it’s added to the problem of litter being left in our streets, broken red boxes, yellow and blue bags flying in the wind. The consultation on the new solutions is a chance for us to bin the boxes and bags, so please let us know which option you think would work best.

“The consultation is part of a wider review of our waste service, it will take time to implement but we haven’t made any decisions so want to hear as much feedback as possible.” You can have your say by visiting www.nwleics.gov.uk/binreview.