Blackpool Council reveal more details about changes to bin collections

From April 2026, all councils in England are to introduce weekly food waste collections as part of the UK Government’s Simpler Recycling initiative, designed to make recycling more consistent and effective across the country.

In preparation, Blackpool Council, in partnership with Enveco NW Environmental Services, is implementing a comprehensive upgrade to local waste and recycling services including the introduction of food waste caddies, larger blue bins and new brown bins.

Blackpool's waste collection service, managed and delivered by the council's wholly-owned company Enveco NW, which empty bins at over 72,000 households across the town.

The changes, outlined in detail below, will deliver a simpler, fairer and more sustainable system, supporting the town’s ambition to create a cleaner and greener environment for residents, businesses and visitors alike.

Bin Hubs

As part of the improvements, new Bin Hubs will be installed across the town to provide accessible recycling facilities and help keep streets cleaner.

Each hub includes bins for general waste, paper and cardboard, mixed recyclables (plastic, tins, cans, and glass) and food waste.

Initial trial installations took place in community areas, along the seafront and in the town centre.

These hubs are for public use only and not intended for business waste.

New bins for paper and card

The current brown sack for paper and card will be automatically replaced with a new brown bin. This creates more space for recycling and tidier collections.

Delivery begins w/c 3 November 2025 and will continue into 2026.

Bigger blue bins

Those who currently have a small blue bin for glass, cans and plastics will automatically get a larger blue bin.

Old blue bins will be collected and replaced. Delivery begins w/c 3 November 2025 and will continue over a period of approx. 6-9 months.

Residents do not need to take any action. New bins will be delivered automatically.

Once delivered they should be used immediately and presented on the usual collection day.

Food caddies

In preparation for the national food waste collection implementation, starting February 2026, households will also receive new food waste caddies:

: One small indoor caddy (7 litres), and

: One larger outdoor caddy (23 litres) - along with compostable liners

New waste collection schedules – from April 2026

Weekly food waste collections will begin from 1 April 2026, helping turn leftovers into renewable energy.

With the addition of weekly food waste collections, the overall waste schedule will move to a three-weekly collection cycle from April 2026.

Example collection schedule:

The new pattern will look like this, although variations may apply:

·       Food waste: collected every week

·       Garden waste: collected every 2 weeks (subscription only)

Then, the following bins are collected on a 3-week cycle - one each week:

·       Week 1: General waste - grey bin

·       Week 2: Paper and cardboard - brown bin

·       Week 3: Recycling (glass, cans, plastics) - blue bi

The cycle then repeats

Please note: this is only a sample schedule. No collections for food for waste will come into place until April 2026. Non-recyclable household waste should be placed in the grey bin as normal until then.

Green / garden waste scheme

The garden waste subscription service will continue to operate fortnightly, with the annual fee reduced from £45.00 to £30.00 for the period from April 2026 to March 2027.

Councillor Jane Hugo, Deputy Leader of the Council (Place) and Cabinet Member for Climate Change, said:  “Simpler Recycling is a great step forward - nationally and here in Blackpool.

“With everyone’s support, we can make recycling easier and build a cleaner, greener and more sustainable town - together.''