Future changes to bin collections

From June 2026, households will have more opportunities to recycle as part of nationwide changes to waste collections.

These changes include:

• a new weekly food waste collection service - allowing residents to dispose of unusable and expired food items
• extra items will be accepted in the recycling collection - including glass, cartons, and plastic bags, wrappings and films
• a separate collection for paper and card
• a new three-weekly collection schedule

New collection schedule

Households will be provided with four collection services as standard:

• a weekly food waste collection
• a three-weekly refuse (general rubbish) collection
• a three-weekly paper and card collection
• a three-weekly recycling collection for glass, plastics, metal, and cartons

Below is an example of the new three-weekly collection schedule:

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

When will the new collections/schedule begin?

1 June 2026.

During May, households will be sent a detailed information pack and new collection calendar. Please continue to use your bins as you currently do until then.

Why are these changes happening?

Changes are taking place to ensure Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils can meet new government legislation known as Simpler Recycling.

The policy requires all councils to:

• provide weekly food waste collections
• collect a core list of recyclable items
• collect fibre recyclables (paper and cardboard) separately

This will ensure the same items are collected for recycling throughout the whole country. Therefore, it will help more people to recycle and boost national recycling rates.

View the Simpler Recycling Policy on the Government's website

Will garden waste collections be changing?

No. Garden waste (brown bin) collections will remain an optional, separate charged for service, with collections continuing fortnightly.

Why will refuse bins be emptied every three-weeks rather than fortnightly?

There is regular sampling and analysis of what is going into the bins in Suffolk - you can find these reports on the Suffolk Recycles website.

On average, nearly 60% of waste that residents currently put in their refuse (general rubbish) bins could be recycled instead. For example, via the food waste or recycling collections.

Therefore, as the refuse bin will not fill up as quickly, it will need emptying less often.

With less general rubbish to collect, the councils can move to a more cost-effective three-weekly refuse collection schedule.

However, we understand that the change to a three-weekly refuse collection may be concerning for some households, such as those with larger families or medical requirements. Households may be eligible for extra bin capacity, and we will be happy to discuss any concerns.

Won't this mean that bins are more likely to smell?

Food items, which are most likely to cause bins to smell or attract vermin, are currently collected fortnightly as part of the refuse collection.

From June 2026, we will collect food waste every week via the new dedicated service. This means that food waste will spend half as long in a bin, therefore helping to reduce smells and mess.

Items placed in recycling bins should already be empty, clean and dry, so they shouldn't smell at all.

What extra bins will I receive?

Households will receive two food waste containers:

• one lockable 23 litre food waste bin to leave outside for collection
• one smaller 5 litre caddy for use in the kitchen - small enough to sit on your worktop or under the sink

Most households will also receive one extra 240 litre wheelie bin:

Addresses in Babergh

• will be delivered a green-lidded paper and card bin
• the current blue bin will become the recycling bin for glass, plastics, metal, and cartons

Addresses in Mid Suffolk

• will be delivered a blue-lidded recycling bin for glass, plastics, metal, and cartons
• the current green-lidded bin will become the paper and card bin

When will I receive the new containers and bin?

The food waste containers and extra bin will be delivered to households between February to May 2026.

Once you have received them, please store them somewhere safe, and do not use them. 

During May, households will be sent a detailed information pack which will inform you when to start using them from.

What if I don’t have room for extra bins?

As we do currently, we will work with residents to look at alternative solutions, such as using smaller bins, or providing sacks instead.

For clarity, the approximate sizes (Height x Width x Depth) of the new bins are:

• 23L food waste bin - 39cm (H) x 29cm (W) x 34cm (D)
• 5L kitchen caddy - 21cm (H) x 25cm (W) x 19cm (D)
• Extra 240L wheelie bin - 110cm (H) x 59cm (W) x 75cm (D)

What extra items will I be able to put in the recycling bin?

From June 2026, you will be able to put the following into the blue-lidded recycling bin:

• glass bottles and jars
• cartons (Tetra Pak), such as milk and drink cartons
• plastic carrier bags
• plastic wrappings, including those used around multipacks
• plastic films, for example those found on the top of fruit punnets and meat trays
• food bags, such as ones used for cereal, pasta, mixed salad, frozen chips and frozen peas
• bubble wrap

Why will there be a separate collection for paper and card?

The Government's new Simpler Recycling policy requires all councils to collect paper and card separate from other recyclable items.

This is because when paper and card are collected along with other items like glass and plastics, they can get damaged or contaminated. Therefore, reducing its recycling quality and value.

Keeping paper and card separate means they can be recycled more effectively and are worth more when sold for recycling.

What about waste collections from flats?

We are currently reviewing bin provision for all flats and communal areas, as well as working with landlords and management companies. This will ensure that sufficient bins are in place ready for when the new collection services start.

Who is paying for these changes?

The Government is providing some extra funding to help councils set up new collection services.

They are also introducing new legislation (Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging). This will make packaging producers financially responsible for the materials they put onto shop shelves. Therefore, in the future, packaging producers will help to fund waste and recycling collections provided by local councils.

What if I already compost my food waste?

That is great to hear. However, some food waste such as meat, bones and pasta, can be difficult to compost at home. 

We also understand that not everyone has the space or ability to compost at home.

Visit the Suffolk Recycles website to find out more about home composting, including offers on heavily subsidised composting items.

How can I reduce the amount of waste I have?

We always want to encourage households to generate as little waste as possible.

Visit the Suffolk Recycles website for useful information on how to reduce and reuse your waste.

Visit the Food Savvy website for hints and tips on how you can reduce food waste and make use of leftovers.

What will I able to put in the food waste bin?

• out of date and mouldy food
• plate scrapings and peelings
• meat and fish (cooked and uncooked), including bones 
• tea bags and coffee grounds
• bread
• pasta and rice
• eggshells
• dairy products
• fruit, vegetables and salad
• leftover pet food (wet and dry)

Can I put the food waste into my garden waste bin instead?

No. The garden waste (brown) bins are for garden waste only.

This is because garden waste is taken to the Material Change Facility in Creeting St Mary to be turned into compost. This facility uses a 'windrow' composting process. Windrow composting is used to process garden waste only and is not able to deal with food waste.

What will happen to the food waste?

The food waste will be taken to an anaerobic digestion facility.

At the facility it will go through a process where it is broken down to produce:

• Biogas which is used as a renewable energy source to generate heat, electricity, and fuel by capturing and burning methane produced from organic waste.
• Biofertiliser which is a nutrient rich fertiliser that is spread on fields.

What will happen to the recycling?

Recycling, and paper and card, will still be taken to the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Great Blakenham.

However, the MRF will be redesigned to cope with the changes in the items collected.

Recycling collected via the blue-lidded bins

As currently, the items will go through a process where they are sorted, separated and baled. The materials are then sent to companies who can recycle them.

Paper and card collected via the green-lidded bins

Won't need sorting. Instead, it will be tipped, baled, and sent straight to paper merchants for recycling.

What will happen to the refuse?

Refuse (general rubbish) will still be taken to the Energy from Waste Facility in Great Blakenham.

At the facility the waste is burned at high temperatures and used to generate electricity for over 40,000 homes.

We do not currently, and won’t be, sending any waste to landfill.

Will my collection day change?

Probably not. We try to avoid changing collection days as we know this can be confusing. However, it is sometimes necessary to do so due to service demands, such as new housing developments. 

For most addresses, the food waste bin will be emptied weekly on the same day as the refuse, recycling, or paper and card collection. Although, the food waste will be collected by separate, dedicated crews and trucks.

What will happen to glass bottle banks? 

As households will be able to recycle glass via the blue-lidded recycling bin, we expect the demand for bottle banks across the districts will decrease. Therefore, bottle banks are likely to be phased out over the coming years. 

More information

Visit the Suffolk Recycles' Better Recycling webpage to find out more information.

View the Better Recycling Pre Information Leaflet which is being sent to all households in Suffolk between January to March 2026.

View the Food Waste Caddy Leaflet which will be included with the food waste caddies when they are delivered.

We will continue to share updates as we get closer to the rollout on our website, social media pages and in the local press.

In May 2026, households will be posted a detailed information pack and new collection calendar.

However, if you have any concerns relating to the upcoming changes, please contact Waste Services.

New waste services policies

The new waste services policies come into effect from 1 June 2026.

They are designed to make recycling easier and better for everyone, and to ensure Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils can meet new government legislation.

View the Babergh District Council policy with effect from 1 June 2026

View the Mid Suffolk District Council policy with effect from from 1 June 2026