Middlesbrough residents will receive new recycling bins, including two for food waste, by April 2026 to improve recycling rates.
Other councils will change at their own speed, and Middlesbrough won’t change in April 2025. The council must change due to national rules and believes it is good for the environment, fitting their “green” plans.
Right now, recycling goes in one bin and is sorted later. Soon, everyone gets extra bins in 2026 to separate paper and cardboard which helps the environment by potentially reducing mess. The new bin type remains unknown, and the council still needs to decide collection days.
From April 2026, they will collect food waste weekly, with the government paying for the project. This should not raise council tax, and new trucks are being purchased for food waste. Two bins for food scraps will be provided to each home.
One small bin stays in your kitchen, and a bigger, sealed bin stays outside. City workers will help people learn the new recycling rules.
Middlesbrough does not recycle very well and is one of the worst areas in the country. They want to improve this by making it as easy as possible; however, people also must put in the effort to do better.
The new rules are mandatory, but the council would do it anyway. It might be slightly annoying at first, but people adjust to the new plan pretty quickly and everyone is expected to like it after a few months.
Back alley collections won’t change just yet, although the council will think about those properties too. Residents now pay for green yard waste collection, and this is the second year for the garden waste charge.
People with financial problems can pay in installments, each plan costs the same overall. As of February 21st, 139 people use the payment plan. You must get council tax help to qualify.
The payment plan costs £10 each month for four months for qualifying residents. Everyone else pays £40 all at once. If you stop paying, they will stop collecting. You must sign up by July 31, 2025, for the plan; signing up later requires full payment.
The council asked neighbors to share bins in 2024 to help people who don’t have much yard waste as sharing saves money.
For 2025, garden waste bins have new stickers that workers use to know who paid. There are 7,264 sign ups in 2025, 310 are new users this year, and sign ups recently began; they expect more soon. Collections run from April to November 2025.
The council says this year is easier than last year because many people already have the yard waste bins. Last year’s sign ups doubled expectations, and the council member praised the people.
Recently, they started charging for bulky waste removal. It costs £24.50 for up to five items, but the charge does not cover all costs. They are building a website for booking pick ups, and the online system should launch in April.