Bins in east Suffolk to be collected every three weeks

East Suffolk Council decided on Wednesday to approve the plans that will also see rubbish bins cleared every three weeks, instead of the current two.

It means those living in east Suffolk will be supplied with either an additional wheelie bin or other container to separate paper and card from plastics, metal, cartons and glass bottles or jars. 

A weekly food waste collection service was agreed earlier this year, and the new rounds will be implemented in 2026.

The scheme is set to be adopted by district and borough councils across Suffolk, with figures suggesting that 58% of rubbish currently poured into waste bins could be diverted to other recycling and organic waste collections.

Councillor Sally Noble, East Suffolk Council’s cabinet member for the environment, said: “We have reached a point where we must now grasp a clear opportunity to reset our approach to waste collection, and with it, greatly improve environmental outcomes for our residents.

“National targets require us to divert 60% of waste to recycling by 2030 and 65% by 2035. However, recycling performance has plateaued in recent years, with East Suffolk currently diverting only 39%. This places us 203rd out of 343 collection authorities in England and Wales.

“The current co-mingled method of collecting recycling in one bin means that a large amount of the paper and card we collect is contaminated by the other items and the ‘twin stream’ method, with an additional recycling bin, will transform the quality of materials for re-use, with huge environmental benefits.

“This also means that much less residual waste will need to be collected. We have the potential to divert over 58% of waste from rubbish bins, and to encourage improved recycling habits, a revised waste collection service presents an incredible and unmissable opportunity to take a big step forward.

“Three-weekly waste collections would save an extra 6,500 tonnes of carbon emissions a year compared to the current two-weekly model and without actually decreasing the overall, combined bin capacity that each household receives.”

Councillor James Mallinder (Image: East Suffolk Council)

However, councillor James Mallinder, cabinet member for the environment under the previous Tory administration, raised concerns that during the summer months the three weekly collection could "lead to smells and encourage vermin". 

He said: "The proposed three week collection of residual waste - the black bag collection - is not acceptable.

"We will clearly see a knock-on effect of residents using pavement bins and frankly just fly-tipping waste and the Conservatives are asking the council to think again from changing the collection from every two weeks to every three."