Locals fume as bin collection reduced to every three weeks

A council’s decision around how it handles residents’ rubbish has left many outraged with one labelling it “absolutely disgusting”.

Residents in the UK are fuming over a local council’s plan to collect household garbage bins only once every three weeks.

The council in Cheshire, a borough three and a half hours northwest of London, announced the proposal as part of a strategy to save £91 million ($A177 million) over the next four years and stave off bankruptcy, according to the BBC.

Locals are in serious opposition to the change, with approximately 84% of the 6,257 respondents saying they’re against it.

Many have said they already find it difficult to manage their waste with the current arrangement and expressed concerns that reducing collection frequency would lead to an increase in vermin, pests, unpleasant odours, littering, and illegal dumping.

Even more concerns were raised for large families, elderly residents, and those living in terrace houses with limited outdoor space.

A local council in Cheshire, UK, has proposed a plan to reduce bin collection to once every three weeks. Picture: iStock

Despite pushback from the community, the council said it had “no choice” but to implement this change due to its financial difficulties.

The new collection schedule is slated to begin in April 2026, coinciding with a requirement for councils to implement weekly food waste collections as part of recycling reforms introduced by the previous government.

Mick Warren, chair of the council’s environment and communities committee, explained, “Financially, we have no choice but to propose a move to three-weekly black bin collections.

“This change could reduce the expected costs of introducing weekly food waste collections from £1.75 million ($A3.4 million) per year to around £450,000 ($A878,000).”

Mr Warren noted that the council is taking community feedback into account and plans to invest in mitigation measures, which will include hiring additional education and enforcement officers.

Residents strongly oppose the change, saying it will lead to an increase in vermin, littering and overflowing bins. Picture: iStock

The council also acknowledged that some households may require larger bins and intends to provide clearer guidance regarding waste policies for larger families and those disposing of medical waste.

The council is also planning to implement fines of £80 ($A156) for people who leave their bins out for several days before or after scheduled collection days.

Frustrated locals took to social media to voice their frustration.

“They are cutting the service and also implementing bin education and enforcement. This is on top of closing many smaller local tips in Cheshire East. Any way they can fine people, they will. It’s a disgrace,” one resident remarked.

“Absolutely disgusting, but I’m not surprised! So, despite residents’ opposition, their answer is to spend money on ‘education’ and ‘enforcement officers’ with the added penalty for leaving bins out. This doesn’t address residents’ concerns raised during the consultation. What a total waste of our money,” said a second.

A third commented, “It’s going to stink in East Cheshire with the announcement of garbage collection occurring only every three weeks.”

It comes after a Sydney council made a similar announcement last year. Picture Rohan Kelly.

It comes after a similar decision made by a council in Australia last year.

The Inner West Council changed its garbage collection schedule to fortnightly, instead of weekly, as part of its waste strategy implemented last September.

Residents in suburbs such as Balmain, Tempe, Annandale, and Leichhardt must place food scraps into green food organics and garden organics (FOGO) bins, which will be emptied weekly.

Sanitary products, nappies, and pet litter will continue to be collected in red bins on a fortnightly basis.

Residents also raised concerns about potential smells, rodents, and overflowing bins as summer temperatures rise.

Some labelled the decision “out of touch” and “disastrous” and feared it would ruin the aesthetic of the harbour-view suburb.

Full garbage bins, overloaded with rubbish on Hill and Balmain road in Leichhardt. The changes to collection have meant bins are always full. Picture Rohan Kelly.

A spokesperson for the Inner West Council acknowledged that while food recycling may be challenging initially, the environmental impact would be significant.

They claimed that the program would save ratepayers over $370,000 annually in landfill expenses, with the average household able to offset the equivalent of one month of their annual electricity emissions by participating.

To address odour concerns, the spokesperson noted that trials in other councils have recommended securely wrapping items such as nappies, incontinence pads, period products, pet litter, and pet waste before disposal.

This approach aimed to minimise odours and help ensure there is no increase in odour from the change in collection schedule.

Originally published as Locals fume as bin collection reduced to every three weeks