Waste bins could be collected every three weeks

Residents could see their rubbish collected every three weeks under new plans.

As two of Wiltshire Council's waste contracts come to an end, proposals set to be discussed on Tuesday suggest food waste should be collected weekly, recycling every two weeks and residual waste every three weeks.

Privately-run recycling centres at Purton and Lower Compton could also be shut under the plans, while a new centre could be opened in North Wiltshire. Under the proposals, a new food waste caddy would also be given to every household.

The council wants to increase its recycling rate from just over 40% to just over 60%, and lower the amount of waste sent to landfill from about 13% to 3%.

Wiltshire Council leader Ian Thorn said contracts for kerbside collection and sorting materials would be moved to local authority trading companies (LATCOs) to allow the council to reinvest any profit made back into the system.

He added there was evidence which showed less frequent residual waste collections increased recycling.

Councillor Paul Sample said: "These changes are about building a waste service for the future.

"We will cut carbon emissions, save taxpayers' money and make it easier for residents to do the right thing for the environment."

The council is also looking at introducing a phased rollout of a booking system for recycling centres.

It said this would help reduce queues, cut emissions, and make visits easier and quicker for everyone, especially in areas where residents said congestion could be problematic and causes safety issues.

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