Households in Richmondshire to get two new wheelie bins

Richmondshire residents are to get new wheelie bins as North Yorkshire Council continues to standardise waste collections across the county following local government reorganisation.

Since the creation of the unitary authority in 2023, the council has been working to bring together different recycling collection systems inherited from the county’s former district and borough councils.

Officials say the aim is to create a single recycling service that is more efficient, easier to operate and compliant with new national recycling legislation.

As part of the latest phase of the rollout, households in the Richmondshire area will receive two recycling bins, allowing materials to be collected separately on alternate fortnights.

One bin will be used for paper and card, while the other will take glass, plastic, cans and cartons.

The collection model is already in place in the former Selby and Ryedale districts, where the council says it has increased both the quantity and quality of recycling collected.

Separating paper and card also helps the authority meet the requirements of the Environment Act 2021, which requires councils to collect those materials separately.

North Yorkshire Council says the new system also reduces collection costs, increases the value of recyclable materials once processed and contributes to its carbon reduction targets.

A recent survey of households already using the service in the former Ryedale area found 83 per cent of respondents were either happy or very happy with the new arrangements, while 85 per cent said they found the system easy or very easy to use.

More than half said they were recycling more than before and 81 per cent believed the changes would improve recycling across North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for waste services, Councillor Richard Foster, said: “We need to make sure our recycling service continues to offer value for money and remains fit for the future, while doing everything we can to boost recycling rates and support our carbon-reduction goals.

“So we are now rolling out the improved service to former Richmondshire residents and will be writing to them this week advising them to keep an eye out for their wheelie bins, which will be delivered in the coming weeks.

“We understand that any change to rubbish and recycling collections can take some getting used to, but feedback from residents who are already using the service has been overwhelmingly positive.

“These results should provide reassurance to residents that the changes are working well and delivering real environmental benefits.”

Richmond councillor Stuart Parsons said he was hopeful the changes would work well.

He said: “I’ve heard the new system works, which is always a positive.

“Obviously Richmond is rather a difficult area given the density of buildings and so on, but the assistant director has worked quite well with local members, so I’m hopeful the roll-out will go well.”

The new collections are due to begin in October, with residents receiving further information about collection dates in late September.

The council says the changes will continue to be introduced in phases across the rest of North Yorkshire as it works towards a single countywide recycling service.