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East Cambridgeshire District Council proposes move to fortnightly general waste collections




A proposal to replace weekly black bag collections with a fortnightly collection of black wheeled bins is set to go before councillors.

East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC) is to vote on the proposals, alongside plans to begin weekly food waste collections and enhance its free garden waste service

Charges for additional bins are being removed from spring 2026 to coincide with the launch of the new proposed services. Residents instead will be able to put in a request to the council for a green (garden waste) and blue (dry recycling) bin free of charge if one is not enough. The plans drawn up by ECDC are designed to increase recycling rates.

East Cambridgeshire District Council bin lorry
East Cambridgeshire District Council bin lorry

If approved, the council is aiming to bring in all the changes from spring 2026 to coincide with government plans to introduce a weekly collection of food waste nationally. Funding is being made available by the government to support this.

Replacing a black sack collection with a wheeled bin and introducing weekly food waste collections is expected to reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill and prevent litter escaping. Residents will also be able to easily recycle soft plastics such as cling film, carrier bags, trays and tubs. It is hoped this will further reduce the amount of waste going into black bins and will mean less waste going to landfill.

Cllr Anna Bailey, leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “We are really excited to be announcing these proposed changes to be brought in in 2026 which I know will have multiple benefits for all residents – and the environment too.

“For residents, it means they continue to receive a free garden waste collection – something only a handful of councils continue to provide. They will also get free extra blue and green bins on request, will have their food waste collected weekly, and be able to easily recycle all of those tricky plastic trays and bags that many people just end up putting in the rubbish.

“In turn, this will help reduce the amount of non-recyclable rubbish and food waste going into landfill. Last year we recycled 58% of waste putting us in the top 20 local authorities in the country when it comes to recycling. This included a staggering 7000 tonnes of dry recyclables and 11,000 tonnes of green waste.

“I know our residents recognise the importance of recycling and with their help I know we can improve our excellent recycling rate even further helping us all create a cleaner, greener East Cambridgeshire.”

Residents who receive a standard household collection will be provided with:

Food waste: A free 5 litre kitchen caddy and a 23 litre kerbside caddy which will be collected weekly. An initial year’s supply of caddy liners will be provided.

Dry recycling: This will continue to be collected in a blue lidded 240 litre wheeled bin every two weeks. Residents will be able to add in soft plastics such as tubs, plastic bags and cling film. For households that regularly fill their blue bin, residents can put in a request to the council for a second bin free of charge.

Green recycling: Garden waste will continue to be collected for free in a green lidded 240 litre wheeled bin every two weeks. If required, residents can put in a request to the council for a second bin free of charge.

Rubbish: A free 180 litre black wheeled bin will be provided for any waste that can’t be recycled and collected every two weeks.

Alternative services and assisted collections will continue to be provided for residents who cannot accommodate wheeled bins or have additional needs, such as those with larger families.

The proposals will go before the council’s operational services committee on 23 September.

If approved, they are expected to save the equivalent carbon produced by travelling 3 million miles in a petrol car each year, helping the council meet its core environmental objective of creating a cleaner, greener East Cambridgeshire.

The council will also be running engagement campaigns to help people realise the importance of using less and recycling more alongside the introduction of the new bin service.




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