Solihull Council has confirmed that the move to fortnightly rubbish collections, set to begin this autumn, will not be reversed even if it proves unpopular. Councillor Ken Hawkins, cabinet portfolio holder for environment and infrastructure, delivered a firm response at the full council meeting on July 7, rejecting calls for a trial period or a return to weekly collections.
New Food Waste Service Launching in October
Starting from October 5, the council will introduce a weekly food waste collection service for houses and flats with their own bins or sacks. Between August and September, each household will receive two caddies: a 7-litre kitchen caddy and a 23-litre lockable outdoor caddy. Residents will place plate scrapings, peelings, and tea bags into the kitchen caddy, then empty it into the outdoor caddy for collection on their normal bin day. The food waste will be converted into renewable energy and fertiliser for local farms.
Fortnightly General Waste Collections Begin
The reduction in food waste means most households will switch from weekly to fortnightly general waste collections from October 5. Councillor Paul Goldingay raised concerns that the changes assume residents can halve their general waste, noting that many already struggle with bin capacity even after recycling. He asked for a 12-month trial and the option to revert to weekly collections if complaints were high. Councillor Hawkins replied: "The clear, definite answer to that is no." He added: "On average 72 per cent of what goes in the weekly waste bin can be recycled."
Bin Size and Flytipping Concerns Addressed
Councillor Goldingay pointed out that Coventry residents have 240-litre general waste bins, compared to Solihull's 140-litre bins. He asked if residents could receive larger bins. Councillor Hawkins responded: "We know some authorities have the larger bin, some don't. If all that happens is people put it all in a larger bin, that defeats the objective - we have got to find a way to help people towards more recycling."
Councillor Alan Wigley questioned the risk of increased flytipping and mitigation for flats, HMOs, and properties unsuitable for standard bins. Councillor Hawkins said: "The changes being introduced in October primarily affect houses and those flats where residents already have bins. Most flats won't see a change in refuse collection arrangements - food waste collections won't be introduced at the majority of flats until 2027." He added that officers would visit areas where side waste is common and deliver targeted communication to support recycling.
Government's Simpler Recycling Scheme
The new service is part of the government's Simpler Recycling scheme, designed to make recycling easier and more consistent across England. The council emphasizes that the changes will help increase recycling rates and reduce waste sent to landfill.
