Households across Middlesbrough are set to receive another wheelie bin for recycling as well as two caddies for food waste.
Changes mandated by the government mean that from March 31, 2026, a weekly food waste collection is to be implemented across the town, as well as fortnightly paper and card recycling collections. Documents going to next week’s executive meeting set out that all households are to be provided with a 240 litre black bin with a red lid, while smaller households will have the option to change this to a smaller 140 litre bin.
When the changes come into effect, the current blue-lidded 240 litre recycling bin, which all households have already, will then become the plastics/glass/tin recycling bin. From 2027, microfilm plastic recycling collection will also begin from Middlesbrough households. “Microfilm, often containing polyester-based film and flexibles, is treated as plastic material and must be separated from general waste. This will be collected from households by March 31, 2027 on a fortnightly basis,” according to council papers.
When it comes to waste collections, an opposition cllr quizzed an executive member at the full meeting of the council, held on 9 July. His question came ahead of next year’s changes to rubbish collections across the town.
The changes come as part of the government legislation for ‘Simpler Recycling’, which aims to create greater consistency of items that are recycled up and down the country. Executive member for environment and sustainability, Labour Cllr Peter Gavigan, submitted a report ahead of full council, which detailed that approximately 50,000 caddies are set to be delivered across the town.
Middlesbrough Independent Cllrs Association (MICA) Cllr Brian Hubbard said: “Residents currently dispose of food waste in their black bins which then goes to the incinerator. From next year, the council will remove food waste in a separate container. Can Cllr Gavigan state what will happen to the food waste once it’s collected?”
Cllr Gavigan said: “He’s right to say that each household will have a small indoor caddy [five litres] which could potentially sit on a work surface and this can be transferred to a 23 litre small outdoor bin, which will be collected on a weekly basis.”
In answer to Cllr Hubbard’s question, he said: “Food waste can be converted into energy through a process known as anaerobic digestion. The plan is there will be a local site which will break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen, which produces biogas. This can be used to generate electricity, heat, or even for fuel transportation.”
