Wheelie bins to replace city's recycling boxes

Wheelie bins could replace boxes for some homes in York under proposals from the city council.

Officials said the switch would allow people to recycle more of their waste, save money and stop litter blowing out of boxes which has to be cleaned up after collections.

Households which received new waste wheelie bins last year will be excluded from the scheme initially.

Under the proposals, homes would receive two new wheelie bins, with one for paper and cardboard and the other for glass, tins and plastics.

Each bin would be collected every four weeks in alternating two-week cycles.

Jenny Kent, the Labour-run authority's environment spokesperson, said the move would be a big improvement for households including older people who struggle with moving their boxes.

Using bins for collections instead of boxes would also aim to reduce work-related injuries among council refuse staff.

A total of 1,386 absence days related to musculoskeletal issues were recorded last year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The council's executive will be asked whether to put the proposals out to a consultation on 3 March.

If the proposals are backed council officials expect the new bins will be delivered over a 12-week period.

Between 7,000 and 8,000 households will be excluded from the process, including the 2,568 homes whose recycling is collected by St Nicks nature reserve.

Council environment and regulatory services director Dave Atkinson said further work with households outside of the proposed move would take place over the next 18 months to two years.

A final decision on the proposals is set to be made later this year, with the cost of the roll-out and dates for deliveries yet to be worked out.

A council report stated the proposals come ahead of national changes which will see local authorities having to collect soft films and plastic from the kerbside by March 2027.

It added the new bins would store soft plastics better than existing boxes due to having lids that will stop waste from blowing away.

The rollout of new bins would also come as the council's waste services looks to save £520,000 over the next two years.

The collection of recycling waste in two streams, one taking paper and cardboard and another everything else, is considered to be the most efficient.

Sales of recycled waste currently generates around £800,000 in yearly income for the authority.

Kent said the council wanted to make recycling as easy as possible for people but they would be consulting on the plans before any final decision was made.

"A potential move to wheeled recycling bins is designed to improve safety for our collection teams and residents who may struggle with the boxes, increase recycling capacity for households and reduce litter on our streets."

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