Answers to your questions about waste and recycling
We have received questions and freedom of information requests on the topics below.
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Our waste collections contract
Suez Recycling and Recovery UK provide the council’s household recycling and waste collections services in South Gloucestershire under an 8 year contract which took effect from August 2025.
They are responsible for collecting recycling and waste from households which has been sorted by residents using the recycling boxes, collection bags and bins provided.
The management of the 4 household waste recycling centres (Sort It centres) and 2 waste transfer stations in South Gloucestershire has been brought in-house and they are now council operated.
The new contract, worth around £120 million, delivers improvements such as more accurate monitoring of day-to-day operations using upgraded in-cab systems for better live reporting and communication with the crews.
It will also help us to improve the area’s recycling rate and reduce residents’ environmental impact.
Key features of the new arrangements include:
- household kerbside collections continue to be run by Suez
- redesigned collection routes
- three-weekly black bin collections from 11 May 2026
- extension of the soft plastics collections trial
- food waste collections from more households in flats
- the Sort It recycling centres brought in-house
Changes to your recycling and bin collection days
Most people’s recycling and bin collection days changed in August 2025 because of the new contract arrangements.
For some, the green bin is now collected on a different day to the black bin.
This was the first major reroute in a number of years. The new routes take into account new housing developments and changes to the road network.
These changes were needed to make collection routes more efficient and provide better value for money.
We have introduced a new council app to help you check your collection dates and set up reminder notifications.
In July 2025 we sent a recycling and waste services guide in the post to all households with the details of the changes, and wrote directly to all garden waste service subscribers.
Three-weekly black bin collections
Councillors agreed in March 2024 to introduce three-weekly black bin collections in May 2026. This followed an extensive public consultation.
Why the change was agreed
To reduce costs
Disposal of black bin waste costs £7 million a year.
Moving to three-weekly collections is expected to save at least £1 million per year.
To increase recycling rates
We must meet the government’s recycling target for household waste of 65% by 2035.
Our current recycling rate is below 60% and has fallen in recent years.
To reduce carbon emissions
We are committed to act to reduce the area’s contributions to climate change.
Reducing what goes in our black bins means less waste is burnt or sent to landfill, both of which generate carbon emissions.
Recycling saves energy, reduces carbon release and reduces the need to use raw materials, helping to protect natural resources.
Moving to three-weekly collections cuts down collection vehicle emissions and causes less road congestion, leading to an estimated saving of 1,870 tCO2-eq., contributing towards our goals for net zero.
Read our Resource and Waste Strategy, which we consulted with residents on in 2020.
Find out more about three-weekly collections.
Council tax and waste services
Costs to run council services such as waste management are continuing to increase. We need to find ways to close an expected annual budget shortfall of between £2.7million and £4.7million.
Council tax covers a wide range of services, not just waste collection. Only £7.50 of every £100 goes to providing 4 Sort It recycling centres, recycling and black bin collections, and the disposal costs of waste.
For a household in a band D property paying £1,752.11 in council tax, this means £116.17 of that goes towards waste and recycling services.
Much more is spent on things like care for the elderly and supporting vulnerable young people – there is more information about how council tax and business rates are used to deliver vital services on our Council tax explained – where your money goes page.
We continue to look for ways to help balance the cost of waste management such as the introduction of 3-weekly black bin collections in 2026.
Sort It recycling centre booking
The government now requires all local authorities to regulate the disposal of household DIY waste.
To meet this requirement from March 2025 we introduced a booking system for our recycling centres.
Find out more and check how to book a visit to a recycling centre.
Your responsibilities when disposing of waste
It is your responsibility to dispose of waste properly.
If your waste is not disposed of by a registered carrier, you could be fined up to £5,000.
To make sure that your waste is being properly disposed of, you can:
- ask to see a copy of the company’s waste carrier registration certificate
- ask where your waste is being taken
- check whether your waste carrier is registered by checking GOV.UK’s waste carriers, brokers and dealers page
- ask for the carrier’s registered trading address and company phone number
- get a receipt
- make a note of the vehicle’s registration number
If you have any doubts, contact us for advice by calling 01454 868001.
Businesses can find more information about disposing of commercial waste.