West Suffolk Council approves waste collection changes

In response to ​​government legislation, Suffolk’s district and borough authorities have been reviewing their waste and recycling services to meet new nationwide ‘Simpler Recycling’ requirements by March 31 2026.

At an extraordinary meeting of West Suffolk Council on October 15, following a cabinet meeting on September 17, the council agreed on plans to allow recycling to include glass and cartons by 2026 - with plastic film to be incorporated the following year. 

Waste collection changes have been approved for west Suffolk (Image: Newsquest)

This will be in addition to a brand-new weekly food waste collection, which is to be introduced across the county in the spring of 2026 while retaining collection of household waste every two weeks. 

During the meeting, Cllr Andrew Speed, for Pakenham & Troston, put forward an amendment that would have seen it written into plans that any deviations, including on the retention of two-weekly refuse collections, would return to full council for vote.

Cllr Andrew Speed (Image: WSC)

He said: "It is very probable that residents will be confused and frustrated by the additional collections, I have had a number of my residents already express their dismay, and a number will struggle to accommodate extra bins particularly those in town centres, terrace housing and apartment blocks.

"I think it is therefore essential that we support the enhancement of recycling but that we do our absolute best to work with residents to allay their concerns and be empathetic to challenges that some will experience." 

Cllr Beccy Hopfensperger, for The Fornhams & Great Barton, supported the amendment and said residents have expressed fears that the two-weekly household refuse collection could be changed to three-weekly, as it has in other Suffolk districts.

Cllr Beccy Hopfensperger (Image: WSC)

She said: "We want to ensure that the two-week collections are kept. It is what residents are telling us and we want to ensure any deviation from this is brought back to full council to vote on." 

However, following a vote on the amendment it was lost, with 33 votes against. 

Cllr Cliff Waterman, for Eastgate, said: "Adding extra verbiage just to confuse things is very unhelpful - that is why the amendment to the motion failed.

"I deplore this attempt to stir up a fake culture war over two-weekly recycling. It may be that other authorities have gone to three-weekly residual waste collections and that is up to them.

Cllr Cliff Waterman (Image: WSC)

"This council will not do that. We have two-weekly residual waste collections and nothing else." 

Cllr Janne Jarvis, for Newmarket North, said: "We are way behind with recycling rates and if we want to get up to 65% which is our target in 2035 we are now I believe heading in the right direction with this.

"It is something that is going to bring us up to date with Europe and I think it is nothing but a positive really." 

The council voted on the plan and it was approved, with 34 votes for and 19 against. 

Following the meeting Cllr Dave Taylor, cabinet member for operations, said: “By introducing a twin stream recycling waste collection service like many other councils have across the country, communities can increase recycling rates and reduce the waste which is unnecessarily disposed.

"This meets the ambitions of our communities, the government’s requirements and more importantly the authority’s strategic priority of a resilient environment."

Households are now set to get an extra recycling bin and food waste caddy, with weekly recycling and food waste collections.

Household waste bins will continue to be collected fortnightly.

Where some households may have difficulty with extra bins, the council will work with them to establish workable solutions.