Changes to recycling and waste collection rounds

From Monday 27 March 2023, we will be changing some of our recycling and waste collection rounds. The changes being made will allow us to improve our service and operate more efficiently.

Not all properties will be affected by the changes. We will be sending a postcard to the properties whose collections will be changing. 

The changes will mean that some properties have a collection day change e.g. moving from a Monday to a Wednesday collection.

Some properties will see their recycling and garden waste collections swap weeks.

While a small number of properties will have a different collection day and also swap weeks.

Check if your collection will change

To find out if your collections will change please check our calendar look up - this will show your current collection dates and any new dates, if your address is affected.

Frequently asked questions about our new bin collection changes for 2023

The current collection rounds have been in place for over 15 years and were originally designed for a black sack collection with no additional recycling service.

We can improve our service by changing our collection rounds so that they reflect the services that we currently provide.  

The changes will also mean that the most efficient routes are used to access properties resulting in a reduction in unnecessary travel across the borough and a reduction in the carbon impact of delivering our services.

This will mean that our collections are more efficient and environmentally friendly.

We have tried to keep changes to a minimum but around 40% of properties will experience a change to their recycling and waste collection day or what we collect each week.

We have tried to keep the changes to a minimum, but there will be some changes to the current collection rounds.  There will be three different types of change.

Collection day changes

This will mean that your collection day will change, for example from a Monday to a Thursday.

Collection cycle changes

We provide a two week collection cycle for recycling and garden waste, which means that in week 1 half of the properties in the borough have their recycling collected and the other half have their garden waste collected and vice-versa. To balance our collection rounds some households will change their collection cycle.

This means that while your garden and recycling collections will swap weeks, your collection day will stay the same.

Collection day and cycle changes

A small number of households will have their collection day and collection changed.  For example, your collection day will move from a Tuesday to a Friday and your recycling and garden waste collections will swap weeks.

We will be writing to households whose collection day is changing. You will receive a postcard at the beginning of March,  if your collection day is changing. You can view a sample postcard.

You will also be able to check if your collection day is changing by checking on our collection day checker.

If you collection day or cycle is not changing, you will not receive a postcard.

The changes will take place the week beginning the 27 March 2023.

If you have received a postcard with the same collection day as your current collection day, it means your collection week is changing. This means that the weeks we collect your garden waste and recycling have swapped. So, although you still put your bins out on the same day, what you put out each week will change.

There are no changes to the frequency of your rubbish or recycling collections, so:

  • your rubbish will still be collected weekly
  • your recycling and garden waste will be collected fortnightly

In the first three weeks of the changes, some households may have a slightly longer wait between their old and new collection due to the schedule changes, but once the new collection patterns have settled, the normal weekly (rubbish) and fortnightly (recycling and garden waste) patterns will remain in place.

No, as you will still be receiving your collection in the same week so there will be no significant delays between collections.

Yes, we will collect additional recycling if it is presented in a suitable container, this can be a bag for life, Hessian/woven shopping bag or a plastic box of a similar size to the recycling box provided for glass.

You can collect clear sacks to help manage your extra recycling.  These can be collected from Solihull Connect Walk in Centres and from our libraries or if you are booked to visit Bickenhill HWRC - just ask a member of staff who will be able to get them for you.

We will be unable to collect additional garden waste.

Yes, the time of your collections may change so it is essential that you put your recycling and rubbish out by 7:00am on your collection day.

Our collection crews start work at 7.00am and work until 4.00pm. So please ensure that your containers are ready for collection by 7am and please wait until after 4pm to report a missed collection – as our crews will still be working.

Yes, we collect on all Bank Holidays except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.

Our collection crews will continue to collect your bins from the normal assisted location, take it to the collection vehicle to be emptied and then return it to the assisted location.