Big Changes to Rutland’s Bin Collections What You Need to Know
Rutland County Council is officially rolling out its new waste management strategy starting Monday, March 2nd. The move, aimed at increasing recycling rates and reducing the county's carbon footprint, involves a significant swap of household black bins and the introduction of a brand-new food waste service.
If you’re a Rutland resident, here is everything you need to know to stay ahead of the "Big Swap."
Starting next week, the council will begin replacing the standard 240-litre black bins with smaller 140-litre bins.
How the swap works, The swap happens on your normal collection day, Simply put your black bin out as usual. The crew will empty your old bin, take it away, and leave your new, smaller bin in its place. The new bins will not have house numbers on them. It is recommended that you have stickers or markers ready to label your new bin immediately to avoid confusion with neighbours.
The council acknowledges that moving to a smaller bin can be a challenge. To help residents adjust, they will accept one fully bagged piece of side waste left next to your new bin for a limited time between March 2nd and March 27th.
Perhaps the biggest change is the introduction of weekly food waste recycling. This is designed to divert organic waste from landfills, where it would otherwise produce harmful greenhouse gases.
New food waste caddies will be delivered separately starting Monday, March 9th. Weekly food waste collections officially begin on Monday, March 30th. Unlike the alternating black and green bins, food waste will be collected every week on your scheduled collection day.
Smaller black bins are a proven method for encouraging residents to think twice about what they throw away. By pairing the smaller capacity with a new food waste service and existing recycling bins, Rutland County Council aims to significantly boost the county's sustainability scores.
If you're worried about space in the new 140L bin, make sure you're utilising your grey recycling bin to its full extent and prep your kitchen caddy for the March 30th start.
For more information, frequently asked questions, or to view the full guide, visit the
Many are questioning both the need and the cost to replace and recycle roughly 18,000 bins.
Recycling 18,000 plastic (HDPE) 240-litre wheelie bins results in significant environmental benefits by avoiding landfill, but incurs costs for collection, transport, and processing. Based on typical industry averages, the weight of these bins is approximately 234 tonnes, leading to a carbon saving of roughly 100 to 400 tonnes of CO2e compared to creating new plastic, though the recycling process itself requires energy. The cost to the council, assuming a, conservative, end-of-life contract, is estimated to be between £20,000 and £50,000, though many contracts for high-volume plastic recycling can be cost-neutral or provide rebates.
