What changes are planned for bin collections in Slough?

A switch to fortnightly bin collections in Slough is set to be discussed next week as the council looks to slash £705,000 from its annual budget.

The new measures could see general waste and recycling collected on alternate weeks from June 2023.

We’ve taken a look at what changes are being proposed and how the move could alter the weekly routines of residents in Slough.

How could bin collections change in Slough?

Residents currently get their general waste (black bins) and recycling (red bins) collected on a weekly basis.

Slough Borough Council is now looking to complete these collections on alternate weeks. This means general waste would be picked up one week and recycling the next.

The council said blocks of flats which have communal bins will continue to have weekly collections. 

Charges could also be introduced at the Chalvey Household Waste and Recycling Centre for rubbish which does not meet the definition of ‘household waste’. This includes rubble, bathroom items and roofing materials.

Why is the council looking to change to fortnightly collections?

Switching to fortnightly collections will save Slough Borough Council an expected £423,000 in 2023/24 and £705,000 a year thereafter.

The local authority still faces the prospect of needing to make £20million of savings a year to fix its financial crisis.

The council said it has been considering switching to fortnightly bin collections since 2019. It believes the move could encourage more people to recycle and boost the town’s poor recycling rate which stands at 28 per cent of all rubbish.

Refuse workers currently collect red recycling bins weekly in Slough

Who will be exempt from fortnightly bin collections?

Slough has an estimated 18,000 flats across the borough.

The council said flat blocks which have communal bins/wheeled containers will continue to have weekly collections.

It added that flat blocks will be reviewed on a location by location basis to see if there is enough storage capacity to cope with fortnightly bin collections.

What objections are there to the proposed changes?

Opposition councillor Madhuri Bedi (Independent, Foxborough) told the Express she fears the switch to fortnightly collections could cause chaos, particularly with increasing temperatures in the summer months.

She said: “This year so many people had maggots flying out of their bins because of the temperatures. That’s with a one-week collection, what is going to happen when it’s two weeks?

“The fact is, this is because of the council’s own issues they have caused. If you didn’t spend so much on plants and wasted buildings we didn’t need, would we be in this issue?”

What has the council said?

Labour councillor Mohammed Nazir, lead member for transport and the local environment, said: “Since 2019 we have been discussing the possibility of a move to alternate weekly collections in a bid to increase our recycling rates and cut down on our waste costs.

“During the pandemic with everyone at home we did not believe it was an appropriate time, but now we are bringing forward a proposal which we believe will not only save money but also encourage people to do more to reduce their waste and up their recycling which has wide-ranging benefits for the local and worldwide environment.”