Council considers alternate weekly bin collections

Sevenoaks District Council said alternating collections would improve recycling rates

A council in Kent is considering alternate weekly rubbish and food waste collections in a bid to "modernise and improve" its services.

If approved by Sevenoaks District Council next month, alternate weekly waste and food waste collections could begin from 1 April 2026, despite split opinions from residents in a 2024 survey.

Irene Roy, the council's cabinet member for "cleaner and greener", said: "This change would make the service much more cost-effective so we can invest in new recycling services."

SDC said alternating collections would improve recycling rates and enable kerbside glass collections while freeing up resources for more recycling options.

The council is also considering providing residents with free wheelie bins for their waste and recycling from next summer, while new glass recycling collections could also start at the same time.

Additional home recycling collections, such as textiles and small electrical items, could also be introduced.

The council said: "These proposed changes would harmonise the waste services with nearby councils that are likely to merge with SDC from April 2028, enabling any newly-formed unitary council to maximise cost and service efficiencies."