City contemplates decreasing how often bins are collected

Brighton & Hove City Council is exploring a shift to collecting household waste bins every two weeks instead of the current weekly schedule. The council's cabinet is scheduled to vote in January on whether to proceed with developing this plan. If approved, officials would assess the potential effects on waste services, with a final decision expected later in 2026.

Under the proposed changes, weekly collections of food wastewhich are currently being implementedalong with recycling and communal bin pickups, would remain unchanged.

Deputy leader Tim Rowkins highlighted that more waste is being redirected from general refuse to recycling, noting that other councils had already reduced collection frequencies. He stated, "As bins are emptier, it makes sense to examine if our current collection schedule is the most efficient and sustainable. We must ask ourselves if collecting half-full bins every week is justified."

Rowkins emphasized that the current proposal is exploratory and no final decision has been made. The council has previously faced criticism over missed bin collections, but he noted that significant improvements have been made in modernizing and increasing the reliability of the service.

Author: Connor Blake