Major changes to Blackpool’s waste collection service given the green light

Huge changes to Blackpool’s bin collections are on their way after getting the green light.

Blackpool Council’s Executive has now ratified the proposals after meeting to consider them last night.

The new system comes after the Government introduced new legislation called Simpler Recycling which calls for all local authorities to simplify the way that waste is collected, reduce costs and increase recycling.

Among the changes are the introduction of a new brown bin for paper, instead of the brown hessian sacks, and a new weekly food waste collection, taking organic waste out of the grey bins completely.

Now that the changes have been agreed on, Simpler Recycling will be implemented in April 2026, with all local authorities collecting the same set of materials for recycling.

Changes coming in

The changes include:

 Three-weekly domestic waste collections

 Weekly food waste collections

 Brown bags replaced with brown bins

 Green waste subscription reduced by £15 to £30

 Communal bin hubs in inner wards

 Ten waste amnesties per year in inner wards

 Increased capacity of blue bins

Coun Jane Hugo, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, said: “As a designated Waste Authority, Blackpool plays a key role in shaping how we collect, recycle, and dispose of household waste, not just for today, but for the generations to come.

“We’ve looked at what the Government has asked us to do, and we have been speaking to residents to find out how they would like to see their service improved.

“This has led to a number of proposals which include reducing the price of the green waste service and increasing the capacity of the blue bin. Our aim is to help people waste less and recycle more.

“It is also proposed to change domestic waste to a three-weekly collection. I know this may initially be of a concern to some residents but evidence from elsewhere in the country has shown this can be implemented successfully.

“Before any changes are implemented in April 2026 we will be communicating directly with residents, to provide all the information they need.”

Blackpool’s waste collection service managed and delivered by the Council’s wholly owned company ENVECO, serves 72,000 households. The current collection service was introduced over 20 years ago and for the majority of residents comprises of three wheeled bins and one hessian sack on alternate weekly collections.

Blackpool’s current recycling rate is 44 per cent, which is one of the highest in Lancashire, although over recent years has plateaued and will not reach government targets of 65 per cent without transformational changes to services.

The council says there will be a comprehensive communications and engagement plan to ensure residents are fully informed of any changes before they are implemented.