Title

DISTRICT COUNCILS' NETWORK

Waste collection plans to cost £680m a year, councils warn

Government plans to standardise kerbside waste collections will cost £680m a year, district councils have warned.

Government plans to standardise kerbside waste collections will cost £680m a year, district councils have warned today.

The District Councils' Network (DCN) said the proposals would create ‘chaos and confusion' as households could need as many as seven bins each.

DCN said there would be four separate bins for dry recyclables, as well as bins for garden waste, food waste and non-recyclables.

Council leaders also said the reforms would increase the number of collection vehicles on the roads.

DCN's lead member for enhancing quality of life, Cllr Dan Humphreys, said: ‘These proposals are poorly thought out, and will create costly chaos and confusion up and down the country.

'Rather than standardise waste collections, local communities should be able to decide what works best for them.

'What works for residents in villages and rural areas won't work for people living in flats in a busy town or city.'

Earlier this month, chief executives urged the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to identify and fund all additional costs.

DISTRICT COUNCILS' NETWORK

Shropshire in food waste warning

By Joe Lepper | 17 April 2026

Shropshire Council has warned it may not be able to collect food waste weekly until 2039.

DISTRICT COUNCILS' NETWORK

Winning the war on waste?

By David Blackman | 16 April 2026

Is Reform UK’s waste drive just a saloon bar dream or are there still genuine efficiencies to be gleaned in local government? David Blackman reports

DISTRICT COUNCILS' NETWORK

Sector needs clarity and funding to plan for SEND reform

By Paul Marinko | 16 April 2026

The Government can ill afford to allow their SEND reforms to fail, says Paul Marinko. 'There must therefore be at least some merit in councils demanding grea...

DISTRICT COUNCILS' NETWORK

Sussex: a warning, not an anomaly

By Samer Bagaeen | 15 April 2026

Samer Bagaeen argues it would be comforting to treat ‘paralysis’ on reorganisation in Sussex as a one-off, but it points to a deeper problem at the heart of ...

Popular articles by Laura Sharman