City considers reducing bin collection frequency

Brighton & Hove City Council is to consider collecting waste bins once a fortnight instead of once a week.

The local authority's cabinet is expected to vote in January on whether or not to proceed with developing the proposal.

If they agree to the plan, officers would model the impact on services, and a final decision would be made later in 2026.

Weekly food waste pick-ups - which are currently being rolled out - and collections of recycling bins or communal bins would be unchanged under the proposal.

Deputy leader Tim Rowkins said the council was "seeing more and more waste moving from the refuse bin into recycling" and other local authorities reduced collections "some time ago".

He said: "As bins become emptier, we need to look at whether our current system is the most efficient and sustainable, and ask ourselves 'can we justify collecting half-empty bins every week?'"

The current proposal is "about exploring possibilities, not making any final decisions," according to Rowkins.

The council has faced scrutiny for instances of missed bin collections.

Rowkins said the council had "made huge strides in modernising and improving the reliability of the service".

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