FAQs
- A food waste collection every week, using a small kitchen caddy and larger external food waste bin.
- A recycling collection, every 2 weeks using your grey wheeled bin for paper, card, food and drink cans, glass bottles and jars, aerosols, food and drink cartons, plastic bottles, plastic pots, tubs and trays.
- A non-recyclable collection every 3 weeks, using your green wheelie bin.
- An optional Garden waste collection service every 2 weeks, using brown wheelie bins. This is a subscription-based service and does not operate through the winter months when there is little garden waste.
- Grey bin to recycle paper, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, metal tins and cans, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, and food and drink cartons. These items can then be recycled into new materials.
- Food waste bins for all of your raw and cooked food waste. Food waste is taken to a separate facility where it is turned into green energy and soil conditioner.
What is the proposal for wheelie bin collections in Wirral?
It is proposed that wheelie bins would be collected:
I live in a household with a) more than six residents b) two or more children using disposable nappies c) healthcare waste, I won't have space in my green wheelie bin for three weekly collections?
As is currently the case, if you fully recycle and have too much non-recyclable waste to fit in your green bin as you fall under the above criteria, you may apply for a larger green bin.
I already use 2 or more green bins for my rubbish; can I buy another?
No, only one green bin per property will be collected. If you require additional capacity for your non-recyclable waste, you will be able to apply for a bigger bin.
What about people who have an assisted collection?
Assisted collections that currently take place and any future new requests, would continue for residents who need them.
Has the government said the council must collect waste every three weeks?
The Government does not set a required frequency for general waste collections. Instead, it allows councils to decide on local collection arrangements that provide value for money and meet residents' needs. Many councils across England and Wales already successfully operate three-weekly collections alongside recycling collections and weekly food waste collections and have found this reduces their waste and increases recycling.
How do you know a three weekly collection would reduce waste, improve recycling and save the council money?
This proposal has been developed by council officers who have completed research on different options for collecting your bins. As part of this work they have spoken to other councils who already have three weekly general waste collections. These councils have seen a reduction in the amount of non-recyclable waste collected in the general waste bin and their recycling rates have increased. Councils who already operate three weekly collections also have weekly food waste collections.
How much money would the proposed service save the council?
Moving to three weekly collection is expected to save around £1.2 million a year in collection costs and avoid significant additional cost associate with the disposal of non-recyclable waste.
Why do we need to increase recycling?
Our current recycling rate of just over 30% is very poor in comparison to other areas in the UK. With the introduction of food waste collections and the recent addition of plastic pots, tubs and trays to your grey bin we now have an opportunity to greatly improve our recycling rate which helps reduce both the environment impact and financial cost of our waste management.
Has a decision already been made?
No decisions have been taken. Public feedback will be shared with Members of Wirral’s Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee in February 2027.
Why are you proposing changing green bin collections to every three weeks?
With weekly food waste collections and more items accepted for recycling in the grey recycling wheelie bin, there is less waste going into green bins. As a result, most households that recycle regularly do not need their green bin collected every fortnight, allowing the Council to reduce costs and deliver services more efficiently.
Would there be changes to collection days?
If collections change to every three weeks, there would be some changes to collection days. Changes would be introduced in phases across Wirral and residents would be advised well in advance about their new collection arrangements before they are introduced. Extra support would be available for households that need help to recycle more.
If agreed by Committee in February 2027, when would the changes start?
Any changes to waste collections would be rolled out to homes across Wirral in stages from September 2027.
Would this system increase fly tipping?
The Council is providing collection services for all household waste and recycling. Experience from other Council’s show that reducing non-recyclable waste collections increases recycling rates as residents opt to recycle more of their waste. There is no significant evidence that fly tipping increases.
What other options were looked at?
Officers have carried out a review of the available options. Officers looked at and keeping collections as they are now or reducing the size of every household's green wheelie bin while maintaining the current collection schedule. However, replacing all the household bins across the borough would involve significant costs and service disruption. The options appraisal, which can be viewed in the Documents section of this consultation site sets out the options considered and their assessment.
Sack collections
If you have a sack collection, this will continue as normal, with sacks for general waste and recycling collected weekly.
Flats and communal bins stores
If you live in a flat and have communal bins your collections would continue to be collected as normal.
What can I do to reduce my waste?
Reducing your waste is a great way to reduce your impact on the environment and will also help you maximise space in your green bin. There are lots of ways to do this, such as:
Why can't I put everything in the green wheelie bin?
If you put everything in the green bin you are likely to run out of space over 3 weeks and we will not collect extra bags left by the bin. It costs money to collect and dispose of the waste in your green bin. Recycling all that you can helps to reduce the cost of the service.
Recycling will help reduce waste, protect the environment and help us tackle climate change. We can put your waste materials to good use, and we have a legal requirement to recycle as much household waste as we reasonably can.
Please use your:
This will help to ensure you have enough space in your green bin for 3 weeks of rubbish.
What happens to the recycling and refuse once collected?
Recyclable material is collected and taken to a Material Recycling Facility (MRF) in Liverpool. The mixed material is segregated using magnets, optical sorting and other technology until the different materials are in separate waste streams. Materials are then transported to specialist reprocessing facilities where they are made into new products.
Your food waste is collected by a separate collection vehicle and taken to a specialist food waste recycling facility.
The non-recyclable waste collected from green bins is taken, by rail, to an Energy from Waste facility in Teeside. These plants are highly efficient and, according to Government policy, are a preferable option to the landfilling of waste due to the reduction in environmental impact.