Households to get bigger blue bins for recycling

People in Sheffield are to receive larger recycling bins for their cardboard and paper waste from the summer, the council has said.

The new blue bins would have a capacity of 240 litres, up from the current 140 litres, and, in line with the existing bins, they should continue to be used for paper and card, a Sheffield City Council spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, brown recycling bins would be able to accept more types of waste from April 1 2026, including aerosols and plastic pots, they added.

The spokesperson said: "Anyone who wishes to can keep their current 140 litre blue bin as a storage container. Any unwanted bins will be reused or recycled."

Councillor Joe Otten, chair of the environmental services and regulation policy committee, explained: "We're about to start rolling out new blue bins after more than 10,000 residents told us their current bin simply isn't big enough for the level of paper and card they recycle."

All homes would receive their new blue bin by the end of 2026, according to the authority.

The council spokesperson said that the brown bin, currently used for glass, tins and plastic bottles could also be used in the future for plastic pots, tubs, trays, aerosols, foil and cartons.

Otten said: "With more materials now allowed in the brown bin, too, recycling will be easier for everyone.

"This is about improving our services, responding to residents and doing the right thing for our city and our planet."

The government has instructed councils across England to introduce simpler recycling systems and to include food waste.

A food recycling scheme in Sheffield, which was first run as a trial in 2022, was later delayed for up to 15 years.

Councillors asked for the delay due to a contract with waste collection firm Veolia.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North