Alternate weekly bin collections in Luton due to start as council insists it has '˜no choice' as savings are needed

The council insists it has “no choice” but to make the change as it looks to generate savings and accepts that not all residents will be supportive of the move.

As part of the council’s new Waste Strategy 2018-2028 and its vision to Waste Less, Recycle More, one week black waste bins and brown garden waste bins will be collected and the following week recycling bins and glass collection boxes will be collected.

The council says it is following over three quarters of local authorities who have already moved to alternate weekly bin collections.

Other measures include glass collections extending to all households and 3,000 households will be added to the existing garden waste collection service. All this will be achieved without disruption to people’s current collection day.

Laura Church, Corporate Director for Waste said: “We know that not all of our residents will be in favour of a move to alternate weekly bin collections, but to put it bluntly we have no choice.

“We have to reduce the amount of waste produce, particularly food which makes up around 40% of the waste in our bins and costs around £3m for us to collect and dispose of. The changes will deliver savings of £350-400k per year.

“We appreciate that it will be an adjustment for some people, however we have a town wide campaign in place to help inform people of how their bins will now be collected and we have already supplied 30,000 new larger recycling bins.”

A leaflet will be delivered to all households from mid September detailing the changes along with a calendar informing which week black bins and brown garden waste will be collected and which week recycling and glass boxes will be collected.

Those with communal/shared waste facilities and containers will not be affected.

> For more information visit. www.luton.gov.uk/lutonbins