Starting this March, Sheffield City Council and Veolia will be distributing 240-litre blue, cardboard recycling bins to replace the 140-litre blue bins following the years-long campaign by the Liberal Democrats.
The scheme is a result of a ‘Simpler Recycling’ public consultation by the Environmental Services and Regulation Policy Committee in September 2024.
The initial consultation received feedback from over 10,000 people where it was found that the majority of Sheffield residents wanted bigger blue bins.
Sheffield City Council have been in the process of becoming net-zero, and this plan is one of the many phases.
Each household’s current 140-litre bin will be replaced for free.
Liberal Democrat Councillor for Crookes and Crosspool Ward, Tim Huggan, 59, said that this scheme will help to avoid bins overrunning the way they did during the Coronavirus pandemic, and encourage people to recycle more.
“During Covid, people were obviously ordering a lot of things online and the blue bins were overrun.
“The council had to have alternative strategies which included tying up the cardboard, leaving it beside the bins, which left people confused about when they’re allowed to put them out and what bins they’re allowed to put them out with. This scheme should simplify everything.”
He said that if people see that the council and other public bodies are serious about recycling and carbon-emission reduction schemes, they will do more themselves.
“Sheffield’s recycling rate is abysmal, one of the worst in the country. Sheffield needs to recycle more.
“Something I’ve been passionate about for my entire life is making sure that we recycle as much of the waste that we have as possible: so we reuse as much as possible so we’re not degrading the planet with carbon-intensive industries.”
Retaining a smaller bin will only be upon request, if the resident can prove they do not have the space to fit the bigger bin on their property.
The bins will continue to only be collected once every 4 weeks.
The council is also working with Veolia to make even more different types of plastics recyclable in Sheffield, to further reduce waste production.