Council proposes move from recycling boxes to wheeled bins across York for most households
New recycling bins could help people recycle more, reduce litter and make collections safer.
City of York Council is looking at changing the way recycling is collected across the city.
The proposal would replace recycling boxes with wheeled recycling bins for most homes while making collections safer for residents and staff.
The proposal follows a review of recycling services across York. Over 13,000 people took part in a six-week public consultation earlier this year – with over 63% saying moving to a wheeled bin would make recycling easier for them.
If approved, up to 63,000 homes would receive two 180-litre recycling bins instead of the three recycling boxes most households use now.
One bin would be for paper and card. The other would be for tins, plastics and glass.
Household waste collections would stay the same, collected every two weeks. Garden waste collections would also stay the same.
Recycling would be collected every two weeks on an alternating basis:
- Week 1: Household waste
- Week 2: Paper and card recycling
- Week 3: Household waste
- Week 4: Tins, plastics and glass recycling
The review found that recycling bins would give households more space for recycling. This could help people recycle more at home, supporting local and national recycling objectives.
The new bins would also help keep recycling dry and stop materials blowing onto streets. Litter from recycling boxes was one of the main concerns raised by residents during the consultation.
The review also found health and safety benefits. Wheeled bins are easier to move than recycling boxes and reduce the amount of lifting, carrying and bending needed by residents and collection crews.
In 2024 and 2025, more than 1,300 working days were lost each year due to muscle, joint and back injuries within the waste service.
The Council understands that wheeled bins may not be suitable for every property.
Around 63,000 homes could move to wheeled bins in the first phase. Around 10,000 homes, mainly in areas where storage space is limited, would need further assessment before any changes are made.
The Council will continue to work with residents, community groups and other organisations to find suitable solutions for homes with storage challenges.
Councillor Jenny Kent, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency, said:
“York residents are great at recycling and we know recycling is important to them., The large number of responses to our consultation shows how much residents care about protecting the environment.
“These proposals would give households more capacity to recycle, help keep our streets cleaner, improve safety for residents and staff, and make sure York is ready for future recycling requirements.
“We know wheeled bins will not work for every property in the same way, especially some terraced homes. That is why we will continue to work with residents to find practical solutions where there are storage concerns.”
The Council’s Executive will consider the recommendations before making a decision. If approved, further planning and communication with residents will take place before any changes are introduced.
Any approval would be followed by a procurement exercise, with a lead -in time of several months to procure the new bins before any changes are implemented next year.