Reform bosses approve new food waste bins in Walsall

Reform bosses have approved the delivery of separate weekly food waste collections in Walsall.

Walsall Council will start issuing two new waste caddies to residents across the borough from as early as summer 2027. 

It follows a government directive that all households must be issued with weekly food waste collections. 

A public consultation into how the service could operate in Walsall took place between September and November last year. 

The chosen method of having two additional caddies was one of two options presented.

The other, discarded option, involved combining the food waste with the existing brown garden waste bin for weekly, year-round collections.

The consultation feedback showed the majority of residents preferred mixing the food and garden waste, but Reform chose to use separate food waste caddies instead due to costs.

The cost of introducing the new service, including the caddies, additional staff and fleet vehicles, has been partly covered by a government grant of £1.844million.

However, the grant does not cover the total amount required, meaning Walsall Council will need to allocate an additional £1.4 million from the capital budget for vehicles and containers, along with a further £1million for improvements to facilities at the environmental depot.

At a cabinet meeting on September 16, Reform cabinet members also approved the extension of the brown garden waste collections. 

In Walsall, residents don’t pay an extra fee for the garden waste services unlike most neighbouring council areas. For now, the service will continue to remain free of charge. 

Chair of the regeneration, street scene and communities scrutiny committee, Councillor Pete Sutton, said members asked for the garden collections to operate from March to November, rather than April to December, to reflect the growing season. 

At the cabinet meeting, portfolio holder for street scene and enforcement, Councillor Ian Benton, did not directly respond to the scrutiny recommendation. 

When moving the new Household Waste Collection Policy, Councillor Benton said: “This policy provides a practical, fair, waste collection service that supports our ambition for clean streets that our borough residents can be proud of. 

“It delivers our election commitment to extend garden waste collection in December this year. It also ensures households, including those in flats and communal properties, have appropriate waste and recycling capacity based on need. 

“By making recycling easier, reducing street clutter and providing clear information, we will support residents to do the right thing while setting clear expectations and taking proportionate enforcement action where persistent misuse affects neighbours or the local environment.”

The new policy will result in changes to the existing bin collection patterns. Residents currently present their residual grey bins weekly and their blue recycling bins fortnightly.

From June 2027, residents will be required to present blue and grey bins fortnightly on alternate weeks. All households will be issued with collection calendars.

Bins must not be presented before 6.00pm on the day before collection, must be available by 6.00am on collection day, and must be returned to the property by 10.00pm on collection day.

The council said a ‘comprehensive communications programme’ will support the changes resulting from the new policy.