MAJOR changes to bin collections across the Dudley borough are to go ahead in 2026 after the council’s ruling cabinet green lighted proposals.

Black bin collections will switch from weekly to fortnightly, with new weekly food waste collections introduced, from April 2026.

Dudley Council’s cabinet approved the new collection service model at a meeting on October 23, although it will add to budget pressures - a report has confirmed.

Householders will be issued with an external 23-litre caddy for food waste, or access to a communal bin for people in flats, along with a seven-litre caddy to collect food waste indoors.

Recycling collections will continue to be fortnightly, but residents will get a new 240-litre wheeled bin for mixed cans, plastic and glass, while existing blue bags will be retained for paper and card.

Garden waste collections will also continue to take place fortnightly on a paid for basis.

Remaining refuse will also be collected fortnightly, using the existing black bin, which the council has said brings Dudley into line with other local authorities.

The changes have been met with a mixed reaction from people across the borough with some saying it will result in more fly-tipping and others delighted to see more being done to encourage recycling.

New bins and food waste collection vehicles will be funded by a grant from the government and food waste will be taken to an anaerobic digestion facility to generate natural forms of energy such as biogas and a fertiliser or soil conditioner which can be used in farming.

The changes aim to boost recycling rates and encourage families to buy and waste less food - and are part of a national government mandate for councils to have food waste collections in place by 2026.

A report to the council’s cabinet said the council’s current budget for the waste collection service is £17.9m, and this was overspent by £1.04m in 2023/24.

Implementation of this, without the food waste initiative, would have created a saving of £110,000 per annum but the reports added: “The mandatory requirement to introduce a food waste service, however, will result in a budget pressure.”

The report says the previous government committed to providing funding to collect food waste, with £2,679,480 of capital funding but it adds: “No funding has been provided for ongoing revenue costs including caddy liners which are estimated to cost £73k per year.

“Further funding through resource transition funding was due to be made available during 2024/25 and ongoing resource costs paid from April 1, 2026, however, no update has been received to date from the new government.

“Councils are expected to receive payments through the new Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme (EPR). Whilst payment estimates are expected in November 2024, with payments towards the end of 2025, this has not been factored into the costings until we receive more definitive information.

“The ongoing revenue costs (which include the provision of caddy liners) to operate the food waste service are currently unfunded and will be included as a pressure in the medium-term financial strategy.”

It’s estimated that the costs of delivering the new food waste service will add up to a total of £2,844,080.

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, has said the changes are part of the council’s commitment to become carbon net zero by 2030 and a net zero borough by 2041.