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

28 years later - lessons from Herefordshire's unitary journey

By Cllr Roger Phillips | 19 August 2026

Reflecting on Herefordshire Council’s reorganisation 28 years ago, leader Cllr Jonathan Lester and chairman Cllr Roger Phillips say experience suggests struc...

DISTRICT COUNCILS' NETWORK

Nobody ever voted for a map

By Ben Page | 17 August 2026

Rewiring the State offers the most significant shift in local government for a generation, but there is still a lot that has been left unwritten, says Ben Page.

DISTRICT COUNCILS' NETWORK

Could changing the way we think about care help deliver economic growth?

By Jim McKenna | 14 August 2026

Research commissioned by Cornwall Council shows social care drives economic growth, jobs, wellbeing and wider social value, says Cllr Jim McKenna.

DISTRICT COUNCILS' NETWORK

Council tax harmonisation warning

By Dan Peters | 13 August 2026

Local authorities heading towards reorganisation face a lose-lose scenario on how to harmonise varying council tax bills, a finance director has warned.

Popular articles by Laura Sharman