Big changes planned for waste collections

Black bin collections will be moved to every three weeks as part of a council's bid to boost recycling rates and save money.

North Somerset Council said the changes, which also include the introduction of a new bag for recyclable waste, were designed to make recycling easier and reduce the amount of waste that ends up in black bins.

The new red bags for recycling household plastic and metal will be bigger than recycling boxes and have so far been tested by 6,000 households.

Councillor Annemieke Waite said: "As well as making recycling easier, the changes we're announcing will significantly reduce the costs associated with waste disposal and generate savings of over £1m."

She added: "We know from our trial that the red bag gives people much more space for their weekly recycling so there's a lot less put in black bins and the majority of participants recommended the red bag is rolled out to the rest of North Somerset."

Households can start using the new bags as well as their existing recycling boxes immediately, the council said.

The new bags will be weighted to stop them from blowing away and will be sealable with a Velcro strip.

North Somerset Council said their analysis showed that 45% of black bin waste could be recycled.

Food waste represents 27% of this material - including unopened items.

Changes being introduced later this year will include collections for wrapping such as crisp packets, pet food pouches and plastic bags which make up 10% of black bin waste.

"Several other councils have already successfully made the switch to three-weekly bin collections and we will be in touch with households to let them know when their collections will change later this year," said Waite.

An app will also be launched in April to make recycling easier, with the option to set up reminders for when to put out bins and receive information about the service.

North Somerset Council is aiming to achieve a recycling rate of 70% by 2030.

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