This report sets out proposed changes to Recycling & Waste collection schedules to deliver the improved operational efficiencies needed to meet current and future statutory obligations in respect of Simpler Recycling legislation.

The Committee received a report setting out proposals to introduce new optimised waste collection schedules from 9th June 2025 following a detailed review of existing domestic recycling & waste collection schedules.  Collection round grouping maps were attached to the report at Appendix 1 and a draft Resident Communication Plan attached at Appendix 2.

The report provided an overview of the process of the review of waste collection schedules, its purpose, findings, and recommendations.  It explained that the proposed optimised rounds would ensure that resources were deployed in the most efficient fashion, addressing the fact that 15% of current scheduling had been identified as causing predictable completion issues, and 30% was vulnerable to completion issues in the event of a service challenge being experienced of up to 45mins.  Revised schedules would align recycling, residual and food collections as far as was practicable to the same weekday. Green waste collections would generally be scheduled for an alternate day of the week, to reduce the numbers of bins presented for collection on a single day in a geographic area, and to reduce the number of collection vehicles operating in an area and avoid congestion/traffic related issues.

The report noted that the rescheduling of rounds would additionally provide the service with a foundation on which it could plan for and meet the obligations of the Simpler Recycling legislation, which would require collection of glass and food from all domestic properties by 1 April 2026.

Resolved –

That the report, and the proposed changes to Recycling & Waste collection schedules required to deliver the improved operational efficiencies needed to meet current and future statutory obligations in respect of Simpler Recycling legislation, be noted.