Residents across East Cambridgeshire are being asked to plan ahead for new bin changes coming in next June.
East Cambridgeshire District Council is writing to over 40,000 households to inform them of the changes designed to help residents reduce waste and recycle more.
They include bringing in weekly food waste collections and replacing black sack collections with wheeled bins.
Residents will also be able to easily recycle soft plastics such as carrier bags, plastic tub film lids and pasta bags in their blue lidded bin.
A free fortnightly garden waste collection will continue to be provided.
The aim is to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, cut carbon emissions and prevent litter escaping out of black sacks onto the streets and into our environment.
From June 2026 residents will benefit from
- Weekly food waste collections. The council will send a kitchen caddy to collect food waste, and a larger outdoor caddy to transfer it into for collection.
- The first year's supply of caddy liners, for free.
- A new black wheeled bin for any rubbish that cannot be recycled, this replaces black bin bags and will be collected every 2 weeks.
- Soft plastics like carrier bags, film lids, salad and vegetable packaging can be added to your existing blue household recycling bins.
- The council will continue to collect garden waste for free, but from 1 June, all food waste will need to go into your new food waste caddy.
Cllr Anna Bailey said: “We are working to make sure everyone has the right service and bins in time for collections to start from 1 June 2026.
“We’ve made sure those with additional needs and larger households are supported and we’ll continue to support customers who are on our assisted waste collection service.
“We’ve got over 40,000 properties to get through so we’re going to start delivering your new bins from mid-March 2026. You’ll get a full information pack, and if there are any changes to your collection day, we’ll let you know.”
In the meantime, residents who need to talk to the council about any of the following, are asked to get in touch by 30 November 2025, so it can resolve any issues before the bins are delivered.
Not enough space for bins
Most households can easily accommodate the bins. If you don’t have room, please get in touch.
Help with moving the bins
If no one in your household is able to move the bins, there is still time to apply for an assisted waste collection. If you already receive an assisted collection service you don’t need to register again, the council will ensure your new bins are covered.
Request a larger black bin
Your new black bin will hold around 3 bags of rubbish which should be enough for most households. The council appreciate some households are larger or have additional needs and despite recycling all they can, produce more rubbish. It can provide a larger bin if there is a clear need and certain criteria are met.
More information about the new bin service, along with details on how to get in touch about issues, is available on the waste and recycling pages of the council’s website. Anyone who is not online can call 01353 665555.
The council may not be able to give you an immediate response, but all enquiries will be processed by 31 January 2026.