From the week of October 26, households in Wolverhampton will face new rules on what they can place in their general waste wheelie bins, with food waste no longer allowed in general rubbish. The change is part of national bin collection reforms that councils are introducing at different times across the country.
New food caddies have already been delivered to doorsteps across the city, and these will be collected weekly. Under the revamped system, general waste must be separated more specifically, with food waste such as tea bags, eggshells, peelings, and meat and fish bones going into the caddies instead of the general bin.
Council explains benefits of separate food waste collections
Councillor Qaiser Azeem, cabinet member for resident services at Wolverhampton City Council, said the food waste collections will help people deal with their leftover scraps and plate scrapings while supporting efforts to increase and improve recycling in the city.
“Even the most carefully planned menu can produce unavoidable food waste, such as tea bags, eggshells, peelings and meat and fish bones,” Azeem said. “The separate food waste collection service will help residents to recycle these items as well as keep domestic waste bins cleaner and fresher with more space.”
Residents respond to the new bin rules
The announcement has drawn mixed reactions from locals online. Matthew wrote: “Won't be using it, so don't bother, tried it before and never worked, never collected them.”
However, Lesley responded: “So much negativity as usual. Let’s just give it a go.”
Impact on households across the West Midlands
Wolverhampton is the latest area in the West Midlands to introduce the new collections, with other councils rolling out similar measures at different times. The changes mean residents across the region will need to adapt to the new separation requirements as the national programme continues.
The weekly food waste collections are set to begin in Wolverhampton during the week of October 26, and households will need to use the new caddies for all food waste from that point onward.