Starting by 2027, every household in Wiltshire will receive five separate bins to improve waste sorting and recycling efforts. Wiltshire Council announced plans to separate paper and cardboard from plastics and cans, which are currently collected together in blue bins.
In addition to these changes, food waste and soft plastics will be collected on recycling days. The council will provide special plastic bags for soft plastics disposal. Regular household waste will continue to be collected fortnightly in black bins.
The new system will consist of the following bins for each household:
- Paper and cardboard
- Plastic bottles and cans
- Food waste
- Soft plastics
- Residual waste (black bin)
This approach shifts the responsibility of sorting recyclables from waste facilities to residents. A pilot program will launch in October in Chippenham, where 600 homes will test red-lid bins designated for plastics, cartons, and metal.
From 2026, local councils are mandated to recycle food waste and soft plastics. Wiltshire has been granted an extension to meet these statutory requirements due to existing contracts with waste providers.
Currently, food waste accounts for 43% of Wiltshire’s residual waste, with nearly 39,000 tonnes produced in 2024/25 alone. Projections indicate that recycling food waste could divert approximately 21,000 tonnes from landfill.
Implementing this system will cost millions annually for collection and processing. However, it remains more cost-effective than paying penalties for landfill waste, explained Councillor Paul Sample, cabinet member for environment, climate, and waste. “This is something we need to deal with as rapidly as we can,” said Cllr Sample.
Wiltshire’s contracts with five out of seven private waste contractors expire in 2027. These agreements are worth £55 million annually, costing taxpayers around £45 million. The council offsets £10 million by charging for optional green waste and bulky item collections and by selling recyclable materials such as glass, tin cans, and paper.
In 2024/25, Wiltshire earned £3.6 million from the sale of recyclables collected curbside and at Household Recycling Centres. This revenue helps reduce waste management costs but doesn’t cover them entirely. Cllr Sample emphasized the importance of improving recycling quality through public engagement and campaigns like the award-winning “Let’s Sort It.”
Optional services for garden and bulky waste collection generated £6.2 million in 2024/25. These fees cover operational expenses but do not include costs related to composting sites or bulky waste disposal.
To further enhance waste management, the council’s Environment Select Committee has agreed to establish a dedicated task group to review waste collection processes and contracts.