Mid Devon puts pressure on government to keep three-weekly bin collections

They could be scrapped

Mid Devon District Council is urging the government to continue allowing three-weekly bin collections after the authority reduced waste going to landfill and upped recycling rates.

Former prime minister Rishi Sunak had proposed to make councils collect black bin waste at least fortnightly, something that could have been made the council change its three-weekly rounds.

With Labour now in power, it is uncertain whether those proposed restrictions will be introduced.

Mid Devon began its Bin-It 1-2-3 scheme two years ago,  collecting food waste being weekly, recycling fortnightly, and black bin waste – also referred to as residual – every three weeks.

“We have written to the new environment, food and rural affairs secretary [Steve Reed] requesting that we be able to continue our scheme following proposed action [by the previous government] that fortnightly collections of residual waste could be made mandatory,” said Matthew Page, the council’s head of performance, people and waste.

Mr Page noted that data for the first four months of this financial year, from April, showed 60 per cent of waste is now recycled, putting the council in the top 10 per cent of all local authorities.

“And residual tonnage has reduced by more than 250 tonnes per month,” Mr Page added.

He said there had been an increase in reports about fly-tipping, but that this could be positive because it showed residents felt more confident that action would be taken if they contacted the council.

Elsewhere, Mr Page noted that the council’s ban on so-called ‘side waste’ – black bags or rubbish left on top of or next to bins – was going well with almost all residents adhering to new rules.

Residents can be fine if they leave rubbish on pavements outside properties for more than three days.