Smaller bins plan for Erewash

Smaller black bins could be given to residents in a part of Derbyshire to boost recycling as part of an upcoming overhaul.

Erewash Borough Council, as with all other councils responsible for bins, is working out how to bring in a mandatory change to have four different recycling pickups – including weekly food waste collections – by March 2026.

The council is considering whether as part of these changes it may reduce the size of the current black bin for non-recyclable waste from 240 litres down to 180 litres.

It suggests in a new report: “The provision of a weekly food waste collection service combined with the existing recycling service should reduce the amount of waste collected for disposal in the black bins. 

“Other councils nationally and in Derbyshire, such as Bolsover District Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council, have reduced the size of their black bins.

“Following the implementation of weekly food waste collections, Erewash Borough Council could review the impact on residual waste and recycling tonnages. 

“This will inform whether or not to consider reducing the size of future black bin replacements and new black bin requests to a 180 litre bin. 

“Reducing the size of the black bin could encourage greater participation in recycling including food waste recycling. 

“If introduced going forward, this would not impact existing black bins and instead would be a gradual approach to support and encourage households to reduce waste further and to recycle more. 

“It could help to increase the council’s recycling rate over time and ensure that waste is dealt with more sustainably.

“Large households, those with children in nappies or those generating clinical waste would still be entitled to the provision of extra bin capacity or an additional bin (subject to eligibility).”

The Government has committed to giving councils set-up costs for the new recycling system but not annual running costs once it is rolled out.

It has given the borough £1 million to buy new food waste bins and six vehicles, along with a further £312,000 to help bring in the service itself.

The council says it needs to recruit 10 new loaders and five new HGV drivers to support the recycling expansion.

Homeowners will be given a silver five-litre kitchen-top food waste caddy and a 23-litre green external food waste caddy for the internal bin to be emptied into for the weekly collection day.

The external bin would have a lockable handle function to prevent waste from spilling out if it falls over.

This was a concern raised by some councillors about how the external waste may become a target for wildlife including pests.

Replacement caddies will be provided for free in the first year but will come at a cost after that.

Caddy liners would be provided to homeowners for free in a bid to increase recycling levels and reduce bad smells.

The council says the average household in Erewash produces 45 kilograms of food waste a year and is currently all disposed of in the black general waste bin and not recycled.

Councils are required to provide separate recycling “streams” for food waste, paper and cardboard (separately where possible), glass, metal, plastic and from March 2027 plastic film and general waste.