Wirral Council proposes three-weekly green bin collections

People have been having their say on a proposed major change to Wirral’s bin collections. Wirral Council is inviting feedback on its plan to collect green bins every three weeks.

The council says following the introduction of weekly food waste collections, people are using their green bins, for non-recyclable waste, less. It is said this makes three-weekly collections more efficient, saving around £1.2m a year on collection costs. The bins are currently collected fortnightly.

After the LDRS covered the proposals, the residents have been sharing their views on the Liverpool Echo’s Facebook page. Commenters have so far had overwhelmingly negative reaction to the proposals on the whole.

Vicki Ackerley asked: “What about all the nappies and sanitary, adult nappies, products that can’t go in food waste bin and only in the green bin? They still need emptying, three weeks is too long.”

Stephen Davies suggested a reduction in services should lead to a reduction in council tax, while Jimmy Blackburn predicted, due to the proposed changes, there could be “loads more fly-tipping”.

Jase Camo has argued the issue should be put to a vote, allowing the public to decide.

On the other hand however, a minority spoke in favour of the proposals. This includes Jim Sullivan who said: “Our green bin is virtually empty since the grey food caddies were introduced. It makes perfect sense to reduce the amount of green bin collections.”

The consultation has now gone live, and will be open to the public until November 25.

A council spokesperson said: “Wirral Council, along with many other authorities, is under pressure to increase recycling rates in response to national objectives and reduce the volume of waste sent for disposal. A review of waste services is therefore necessary to ensure service standards can be maintained alongside the need for cost savings across the service.

“As part of this review, the council has considered a number of alternative options, including replacing every household’s green wheelie bin with a smaller bin for non-recyclable items, while keeping the current collection schedule. However, replacing all the household bins across the borough would involve significant costs and service disruption.

“The proposed move to three-weekly collections is the most cost-effective option to explore, helping to make best use of public money while continuing to provide a reliable waste service and support increased recycling. The proposal is expected to save around £1.2m a year in collection costs and avoid significant added costs associated with the disposal of non-recyclable waste.

“At this stage, no decision has been made. Residents’ feedback – their comments, ideas and suggestions – will play an important role in informing future reports and recommendations ahead of a final decision by councillors in 2027.”

Have your say at: https://haveyoursay.wirral.gov.uk/future-waste