Six waste tips to open seven days a week

Sixfields recycling centre will open seven days a week and have a new on-site shop

A council has announced that all six of its recycling centres will open seven days a week from April.

West Northamptonshire Council says the extended opening follows the agreement of a new management contract for the sites.

At the moment, five of the six centres close on at least two days each week.

The council says the change will make it "easier than ever for people to dispose of their waste responsibly".

The council said it had listened to feedback from local people which "highlighted that they want to have access to reuse, recycle and dispose of their waste more often and at a time that is convenient for them".

A new contract has been signed with FCC Environment to manage all six recycling centres area until 2040:

• Brixworth

• Daventry

• Ecton Lane, Northampton

• Farthinghoe

• Sixfields, Northampton

• Towcester

The site at Farthinghoe, near Brackley, already opens seven days a week but does not accept general rubbish.

Brixworth recycling centre, currently closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, will open seven days a week

The new contract will also result in an onsite reuse shop being set up at Sixfields in Northampton, which will be operated by a charity partner and will accept donated items.

A second contract has been signed with Thalia Waste Management for the treatment of waste that cannot be recycled.

The council said residents would not notice any changes to their current household collection arrangements as a result of the Thalia deal.

Rebecca Breese from West Northamptonshire Council, said the new contract was "great news"

Rebecca Breese, the council's cabinet member for recycling and waste, said: "The signing of these two new contracts will improve our recycling centres and provide greater convenience to people, which is great news.

"We've listened to people's feedback, and by opening them seven days a week and introducing a new reuse shop at the Sixfields centre, we are making it easier than ever for people to recycle and dispose of their waste responsibly."

Steve Longdon, from FCC Environment, said: "We are focused on providing over 425,000 residents with a welcoming and efficient household waste reuse and recycling service and we are looking forward to helping them reduce, reuse and recycle more than ever before."