Major changes to bin collections approved

The new rules will be in place by 2026, Durham County Council said

Major changes to bin collections in County Durham have been approved.

Households will receive new containers to store food waste, and follow new rules for recycling glass, from 2026.

The new measures have been approved by Durham County Council in order to reduce the number of waste containers for residents, improve operational efficiency, and improve the health and safety of the bin collection workforce.

Residents will be contacted about their collection date and provided with new containers.

Each household will receive two new bins: a small caddy for daily food waste, and a larger container for collection of food waste scraps.

The food waste containers will be collected by new, bespoke vehicles on a weekly basis, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

It is estimated the weekly food waste collection measures will cost the council around £6m, most of which should be covered by a government grant.

Residents will also be asked to put glass bottles, jars, and other glass items into the main blue-lidded recycling bin instead of a separate, bespoke caddy.

Further new bin collection measures for large businesses are also set to be introduced by March 2025.

Councillor Mark Wilkes said running the waste service in the area is a "significant undertaking".

"Our waste collection teams already empty more than a million bins a month," he said, adding: "The scale of this project therefore cannot be overstated."