Message to Parish Councils
Received from West Suffolk Council 29th May 2026
Message sent on behalf of Cllr Dave Taylor, Cabinet Member for Operations at West Suffolk Council - Better Recycling
Dear Councils,
We are now just days away from launching the new recycling and waste service ‘Better Recycling’ in West Suffolk!
We’ve spent the last few months preparing for the service change on 1 June. This preparation has included delivering over 240,000 bins across the district, delivering detailed information packs and calendars to offer guidance and advice to residents, and keeping residents up to date across social media.
With all the changes happening the service has continued day to day operations brilliantly.
Please read on to find out more about the work around ‘Better Recycling’.
Recycling and waste in numbers
We have now completed over 240,000 bin and caddy deliveries across the district.
Our contractor, Kee Environmental Services, have delivered over 80,000 green-lidded wheelie bins and our in-house waste operatives have handed over 160,000 grey caddies to residents across West Suffolk.
This has been a major logistical operation, so deliveries have taken place in stages so residents would have received their bins at different times. Whilst the initial, scheduled delivery stages have concluded the waste team are delivering bins to households that were missed. If residents have not yet received these items and have not already reported them missing, they are being asked to use the online form to contact the Customer Service team.
We also purchased and prepared 10 new food waste vehicles and recruited 30 new members of our operations team to deliver the new food waste collection service. To ensure the new services work effectively, we have also optimised our collection rounds to ensure residents have the same collection day for the food, recycling and rubbish collection.
Preparing our residents
To ensure the new service can operate effectively, residents have been sent information packs, which includes a collection schedule for all bins, and a list of the correct items for each bin. Promotion for the new service has also been broadcast on radio and TV, in conjunction with bus stop adverts in the district. A free roll of liners was also provided to residents within the grey caddy to make the transition easier.
Alongside the information packs and liners, residents have been reminded across social media channels to put their house number/name on their bins so that they are prepared for the launch in June.
Please find attached a poster to use from the 1 June.
Recycling at Household Recycling Centres
Residents can dispose of items such as furniture, large electrical appliances, wood and timber, textiles, and other non-recyclable waste at a local recycling centre. In total there are 11 recycling centres in Suffolk, and each household can make multiple bookings per week.
The charity re-use service is available at all centres, where residents can bring clean, working, reusable items to donate. Some items may come with a charge, so it’s recommended that residents check beforehand. Further information can be found on the Suffolk Recycles - Recycling Centres webpage.
Battery recycling and WEEE
I want to take this opportunity to remind you of the dangers around batteries; if disposed of in a household bin, our crews and potential passerby’s will be put at risk if a fire breaks out.
Batteries can be safely recycled at any Suffolk Recycling Centre, or at local supermarkets and at the council offices. If a battery is leaking, ensure it is wrapped and sealed in a plastic bag or cling film before disposal.
In West Suffolk there are 18 Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) bins for residents to recycle their small electricals. These bins can be filled with small electricals including mobile phones, tablets, cables, kettles, toasters and kid’s toys -anything smaller than a standard sized microwave. You can find your local WEEE bin by searching for your address on Find My Nearest.
Simpler Recycling for businesses
Since 31 March 2025, the council have been working with workplaces and non-domestic premises to separate key recyclable materials in order to meet new government legislation ‘Simpler Recycling’.
As households will from the 1 June, all workplaces and non-domestic premises, have been required to separate key recyclable materials since 31 March 2025. Compliance is the responsibility of individual businesses, but West Suffolk Council is helping with tailored waste collection services that make the transition seamless.
To support the change, £240,000 was invested into additional bin lorries and recruitment to ensure a smooth operation. By introducing the new service, it has helped our commercial customers to be compliant, reduce business costs, increase recycling rates and contribute to carbon net zero
Businesses that are interested in the new service can contact commercial.services@westsuffolk.gov.uk to find out more.
Recycling awareness
We have continued to talk to the public at many events over the past months, engaging with residents, from students to pensioners.
Sarah-Jane Clarke, Waste Management Officer, has been having informative conversations with residents in Clare, Mildenhall, Brandon and more! Sarah and the team will continue to host public events across the district at venues such as local libraries, shows and markets. Keep an eye on the Waste Education page to see when and where these are taking place.
If you would like to arrange a visit from the Food Waste Education team at a local event, please contact the recycling team at recycling@westsuffolk.gov.uk. Please note events are subject to capacity.
Behind the scenes
If you have ever wondered what it is like to be part of the waste team and what makes it a truly unique job, then spend four minutes with one of our crews on their round https://youtu.be/0R3LetrAz8w
The video was kindly filmed and produced in partnership with Daimler, our fleet supplier, in November 2025.
Kind regards,
Cllr Dave Taylor
Cabinet Member for Operations at West Suffolk Council
www.westsuffolk.gov.uk
West Suffolk Council