Three-weekly black bin collections

Your collection day stays the same every week. What we collect changes: food waste every week, recycling and garden waste every two weeks, and black bins every three weeks.
 

Check your bin day and download your calendar here.
 

This change does not affect households that share bins (for example: those living in flats with communal bulk bins).  

What your 1.2.3 collection service looks like:

1. Food waste collections take place every week
    
2. Your recycling (green boxes and sack) take place every two weeks
   
   Garden waste is also collected every two weeks for subscribers, on the same day as your recycling
    
3. Your non-recyclable waste (black bin) is collected once every 3 weeks - don't forget to recycle household batteries on top of your black bin in a clear bag

3 weekly black bin collections update

Early results from the first three full months of three-weekly black bin collections show real progress.

In October, November and December (Quarter 3) 2025, compared to the same period in the previous year, we have seen:
 

1049 tonnes (15%) reduction in waste sent to landfill and Energy for Waste.

199 tonnes (6%) increase in dry recycling.

260 tonnes (22%) increase in food waste.

162 tonne (1%) reduction in total waste produced that's a reduction of 2.3kg per household in West Berkshire.

You can find out more detail about the changes in waste volumes since the change to three-weekly black bin collections below.

Summary of data

Black bin waste

Black bin waste reduced by 15%, a reduction of 1049 tonnes of  waste going to landfill and energy from waste.

Recyclable waste

The amount of waste collected for recycling has increased by 199 tonnes, that's 6%. This is broken down below into the separate waste streams.

Plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays and food and drink cans and aerosols

Increased by 20%, that's an extra 112 tonnes of plastic and cans recycled.

Paper and card recycling

Increased by 9%, an extra 147 tonnes recycled.

Glass bottles and jars recycling

Reduced by 5%, a reduction in 51 tonnes recycled.

Industry feedback suggests less glass is being placed on the market showing a shift away from glass as a packaging material resulting in less being available for recycling.
 

Food waste

The amount of food waste collected for recycling has increased by 22%, this equates to an extra 260 tonnes of extra food waste collected for recycling. 

Total household waste

Overall household waste and recycling reduced by 1%, this equates to 162 tonnes less waste produced in total. This takes into account all of waste and recycling collected including waste at the HWRC's and Mini Recycling Centres.

Other statistics

• textiles collected at the kerbside have increased by 3 tonnes over the quarter
• black bag waste collected at the household waste recycling centres has increased by 33% this is 160 tonnes
• fly tips over this period have decreased by 5% - we had 249 fly tips in Quarter 3 last year compared to 237 in Quarter 3 this year

The chart shows a reduction in black bin waste, an increase in food and dry recycling waste, and an increase in HWRC black bag waste for 2025/26.
 

All of our waste data is sourced directly from weighbridge tickets for vehicles entering and exiting our Padworth depot. The weighbridge is calibrated and certificated by external contractors and monitored regularly by the weights and measure department of UK trading standards. This data is provided to us monthly by our contractor Veolia and verified internally.

Each quarter, we submit our figures to WasteDataFlow, the national reporting system used by all UK local authorities. WasteDataFlow then validates and confirms the data before it is released publicly.

As this verification process takes time, we are sharing our early data now to keep residents updated on how the move to three‑weekly refuse collections is progressing. These figures may be subject to minor adjustments once the national validation is complete, but we always follow the same reporting steps to ensure the information is accurate and reliable.

Why we made the change

This change will help us:

• reach a 60% recycling rate by reducing recyclable waste sent to landfill and energy from waste facilities*
• reduce the amount of waste we create - and help to lower the cost to dispose of it
• cut carbon emissions to help fight climate change
• free up resources to help protect other essential council services

Our most recent analysis shows that 42% of the waste in black bins could have been recycled using the kerbside services we already provide, including:

• food waste
• cardboard
• glass
• plastics
• metals

This highlights a significant opportunity for residents to recycle more and waste less.

West Berkshire is among the top 10% of the highest-waste-producing areas in England, ranking 25th out of over 300 local authority areas for waste generated per person (DEFRA, 2023/24). This shows we need to do more to reduce the amount of waste we throw away.
 

At the moment, West Berkshire offers more black bin capacity than any other council in Berkshire - 120 litres per week. With this change, the new capacity is 80 litres per week. This is the same as Bracknell and still more than Reading at 70 litres per week. Other councils that have already moved to three weekly black bin collections, such as East Devon and Somerset, provide 60 litres a week - that's 25% less than what we provide here.

Changing how often black bins are collected helps encourage residents to make better use of weekly food waste and fortnightly recycling collections, both of which have been expanded in recent years such as:

• weekly food waste collections began in 2022
• you can now recycle plastic pots, tubs, and trays from home
• we collect household batteries on your black bin day
• you can now recycle coffee pods and vapes at our recycling centres

Evidence from other local authorities shows that switching to a three-weekly rubbish collection leads to higher recycling rates and less total waste generated.

*The upcoming expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to include energy from waste (EfW) facilities by 2028 is a key reason for reducing the amount of non-recyclable waste generated by households. Costs incurred by EfW facilities due to the inclusion of carbon emissions in the ETS will be passed on to local authorities, making it important to divert carbon-heavy materials to recycling and reuse streams.

Support available

It's important to note that these changes have not affected: 

• households with communal bin stores (for example: flats with communal bins)
• weekly food waste collections
• fortnightly recycling and garden waste collections

Food waste is collected weekly, so it doesn't need to go into your black bin, reducing smells and the chance of attracting pests.

We understand that households may have different needs. To support residents: 

• assisted collections will continue for anyone elderly or less able who has difficulty moving their bins to the collection point - if you, or someone you know, needs this service, you can apply for it online
• our clinical collection service for needles, bandages, dressings and other disposable medical items will not change - if you think you may qualify for this type of collection, please ask your GP or health professional to send a request to us.

To reduce smells from unavoidable waste such as nappies, sanitary waste, incontinence products or pet waste: 

• place items in securely tied bags
• keep bins out of direct sunlight where possible
• please make sure bin lids are kept firmly shut
• dog owners when out walking their pets can place dog waste in litter/dog waste bins around the district. You could also consider having a small bin with a sealable lid for bagged dog waste in your garden, which could be emptied into the black bin the evening before bin day. 

For families with young children, we offer free trial packs and a cashback scheme for real nappies. 

If you have a large family and/or have someone in the home who has a medical condition that generates a volume of un recyclable waste, then you can apply for extra capacity here.

We will collect excess dry recycling (paper/card, glass, plastics, aerosols and tins/cans). We do not limit the number of recycling containers. If you need more free containers in order to recycle more from the kerbside, use our online request form here.

We will only collect waste that is contained within your black bin with the lid closed. The collection crew will not take sacks of rubbish left on top of at the side of your black bin.

If you miss a bin day

If you are going to be away on your scheduled collection day, see if a neighbour, friend or family member can put your bin out for you so you don't miss a collection. If you miss a collection, you can visit one of our recycling centres to get rid of any excess waste. Just book an appointment and have a permit before you visit.

Concerns about fly-tipping

We understand the concern around a possible increase in fly tipping as a result of this change. However, studies undertaken by DEFRA and Keep Britain Tidy show that fly-tipping is not directly caused by changes to bin collection frequency.

Fly-tipping is more strongly linked to factors like high urban density, deprivation, and restricted access to Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC's). As an area with low urban density and deprivation, with access to two HWRC's, we experience a low number of fly tips compared to other areas of the country. We saw a decrease in the number of incidents during 2023/24 compared to an increase in fly tipping nationally. You can see the recent DEFRA report on fly tipping here.

Where councils have introduced three weekly collections, no significant increase in fly-tipping has been observed in similar local authority areas.

We actively enforce and investigate fly tipping across the district, issuing fines of up to £1,000 or prosecuting offenders. Did you know that you can be fined if your waste is fly tipped, even if you didn't commit the fly tip? Watch our video for more information about your duty of care.  

We continue to provide access to our Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) for disposing of extra household waste responsibly.