15/10/2026
Important recycling changes are coming to York.
Your black bin will still be emptied every fortnight. However, recycling collection will now alternate between two new 180L bins. This means each recycling bin will now only be emptied once every four weeks.
Liberal Democrats opposed the move to four weekly collections.
If you regularly fill 3 boxes then you can request a larger 240-litre bin at https://www.york.gov.uk/recyclingreview or 01904 551551
New wheeled recycling bins (pictured) will be introduced across York in summer/autumn 2027.
For many households, the new bins will replace recycling boxes. The bins will give you more room and make recycling easier, help keep your recycling dry, reduce litter and make collections safer.
Around 63,000 households will move from three recycling boxes to two recycling bins:
- One bin for paper and cardboard
- One bin for plastic, cans, cartons and glass
Most households are expected to receive two standard 180-litre recycling bins. Based on the collection cycle below, these two bins will hold more recycling than the three recycling boxes most households use now.
For those switching, collections will continue every two weeks (if you subscribe to garden waste, it'll remain the same as now):
Week 1: Black bin
Week 2: Paper and cardboard recycling
Week 3: Black bin
Week 4: Plastic, cans, cartons and glass recycling
Do you need larger recycling bins?
Most households are expected to receive two standard 180-litre recycling bins. However, some households may need larger 240-litre recycling bins. For example, you may have a larger family or may simply recycle more than most households. Households that regularly don’t find the three existing boxes enough may need larger bins.
If you think you may need larger recycling bins, please let us know by 30 October 2026.
Complete our short online form https://www.york.gov.uk/recyclingreview or, if you would prefer help completing the form, call our Customer Services team on 01904 551551 and we will help you over the phone.
If the standard 180-litre bins are right for your household, you do not need to do anything.
The information you provide will help us plan for the new recycling service and identify households that may need extra recycling capacity before the rollout begins.
If you do not tell us now, you can still ask for a larger recycling bin after the new service starts.
What if wheeled bins are not suitable for my home?
The new recycling bins are planned for households that currently receive a black bin collection and a kerbside recycling collection.
At this stage, the new bins are not planned for households recently included in the bags-to-bins programme, properties with bag collections, homes that use communal bins, or households whose recycling is collected by St Nicks.
If your home is not included in this first phase, we'll contact you directly if any future changes affect your recycling service.
📅 Request larger recycling bins by Friday 30 October 2026
