Residents in Babergh and Mid Suffolk will get more opportunities to recycle from 2026 as part of nationwide changes to waste collections.

 Councillors at Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils have endorsed plans which will see improved recycling introduced from 2026, alongside already agreed plans for weekly food waste collections starting at the same time.

The changes, which went before Full Councils this week, ensure the councils can meet new government legislation

 From 2026, people will be able to recycle more items in their existing household recycling bin.

 Glass and cartons such as Tetra Pak – which currently have to be taken to Suffolk's recycling centres and bottle banks - will be included. Plastic film would be incorporated from 2027.

 This additional recycling, combined with new weekly food waste collections, would have a significant impact on recycling rates, allowing over 58% of the waste that residents currently have to put in their black rubbish bin to be recycled instead.

 A separate bin, box or bag will be provided for paper and cardboard. This separation, known in the waste industry as 'twin-stream collections', would ensure this isn't affected by other items in the bin, improving its recycling value and quality.

 Unusable or expired items that residents will also be able to put in their food waste bin, include:

• ·      leftovers
• ·      meat, fish, and bones
• ·      tea bags and coffee grounds
• ·      bread, pasta and rice
• ·      eggshells and dairy products
• ·      fruit and veg peelings

 This reduced amount of general rubbish, in particular food items which are most likely to cause bins to smell, means the councils will move to more cost-effective three-weekly rubbish bin collections from 2026.

However, the councils' waste team will be sympathetic to those with exceptional needs on a case-by-case basis, such as those with larger families, with medical needs or without available space for the new bins.

Cllr Tim Weller, cabinet member for environment, culture, and wellbeing at Mid Suffolk District Council, said: "We understand change can be unsettling, but I also know that most of us would like to see as much of our waste as possible recycled, instead of incinerated.

"This improved service, including the additional weekly food collections, give us the opportunity to reduce our waste, improve recycling habits, and play a bigger part in the circular economy across Suffolk.

"The additional opportunities for everyone to recycle more also means general waste bins will simply not fill up as quickly, meaning we can also change these collections to ensure we're getting the best value for council taxpayers.

"Over the coming year, we'll ensure an effective communications campaign reaches our residents to minimise disruption."

Cllr Deborah Saw, cabinet member for people and place at Babergh District Council, said:  "This is a once in a generation opportunity to improve our recycling habits. 

"Increasing the amount of rubbish that can be recycled by over half really would be a recycling revolution. This is the first major change since we first started separating recyclables over 20 years ago.

"We know that change on this scale will not be without challenges for some households, but we will work with anyone with exceptional needs on a case-by-case basis, to ensure we are adopting this government legislation in a way that works best for Babergh and its communities. For example, our waste officers already consider circumstances such as medical needs and addressing the needs of larger families, among others."

All local authorities in Suffolk, as part of the Suffolk Waste Partnership, are reviewing their waste and recycling services to ensure they meet new nationwide 'Simpler Recycling' requirements by 31 March 2026. The legislation aims to make items collected for recycling consistent across England and Wales and improve national recycling rates which have not increased for some years.

Changes to collections will be explained to residents as part of a Suffolk-wide communications campaign nearer to the 2026 rollout.