Council moves to simplify recycling at home for Cotswold residents with trio of changes coming soon
- Cardboard and paper recycling to be collected together – starting later this year
- From April 2027, plastic bags and wrapping can be recycled at the kerbside
- With a wide range of materials collected at the kerbside bring bank facilities will be closed and removed (charity banks are unaffected).
Cotswold District Council is streamlining its waste and recycling service to make it quicker and more convenient for residents.
At a meeting of the Council’s cabinet on Thursday night, changes were agreed that will mean paper and cardboard recycling can soon be mixed together for collection and the recycling of plastic bags and wrapping will be rolled out at the kerbside early next year.
The phased removal of bring bank facilities, currently located at 24 sites across the district, was also agreed.
In a change to the service coming towards the end of the year, residents will no longer need to separate paper and cardboard for collection. Both will be collected in either the blue bag - previously just for card – or into the boxes that had previously just been for paper. Residents will be kept up to date ahead of implementation.
From April 2027, kerbside collections will expand to include plastic bags and wrapping - such as carrier bags, bread bags, cereal liners and detergent pouches - in line with the Government’s Simpler Recycling requirements.
To support this move – which increases the ability for residents to recycle more at home – and to align with other councils across Gloucestershire, the Council will begin introducing smaller general waste bins. However, this will be a gradual, long-term change.
Smaller bins will only be issued when an existing bin needs replacing - such as when damaged - or for new properties.
Households that need more space will still be able to request a larger bin if they meet the criteria, ensuring the service remains flexible.
Peta Johnson, Head of Waste and Environment, said: “Recycling at home is getting simpler. We know it can be difficult to tell the difference between paper, card and cardboard, so removing the need to separate them is a simple change that will save time and reduce confusion.
“Alongside this, by April 2027, we’ll have expanded kerbside collections so residents can recycle more materials from home, including plastic bags and wrapping.
“These changes are all about making recycling fit around people’s lives; less sorting, fewer trips to recycling facilities, and more collected from home. Not all of these changes will happen immediately – new, smaller general waste bins will be rolled out gradually, while expanded kerbside collections won’t be in place until next April. We’ll share updates as the service develops, particularly on how plastic bags and wrapping will be sorted at the kerbside next year, as we continue to make it as easy as possible to recycle more.”
The Council is also planning a phased removal of its 24 bring bank sites. These were introduced before comprehensive kerbside recycling was widely available, and most of the materials they collect can now be recycled from home.
Removing the sites is also expected to help tackle issues like fly-tipping and graffiti.
Bring banks run by third parties, such as those collecting textiles and books, will remain in place.