Some recycling bins will be collected less often in Tameside after chiefs agreed to roll out three-weekly collections across the borough.

The cabinet has today agreed proposals to reduce the frequency that blue and black bins – which contain paper and cardboard, and glass and cans – are collected and to introduce new charges for replacement bins.

It forms parts of cash-saving plans by the authority which hopes to save around £586,000 a year from its operations and neighbourhoods budget.

The change from fortnightly collections to every three weeks will go live on 31 January.

However the change will not apply to non recyclable waste in green bins or food and garden waste in brown bins.

The replacement of brown, blue and black wheeled recycling bins will now cost residents £25.63 per bin to tackle ‘abuse’ of the waste system.

A trial of three weekly collections had been piloted in Ridge Hill in Stalybridge, Hyde Central and Haughton Green in Denton across three months, and finished in October.

There were 1,610 responses to the consultation, with nearly 30 per cent saying that blue bins were already filled every two weeks, and nearly 20pc of respondents concerned that the changes would increase fly-tipping.

However a fifth of those who responded said they were supportive or understanding of the proposed changes to black bin collections.

Emma Varnam, assistant director of operations and neighbourhoods told councillors the changes aligned with ‘many’ other boroughs in Greater Manchester.

“It enables us to contribute to the council’s wider savings plan,” she said.

“It also ensures that we are able to have some cost recovery for many of the financial outlays that we have of replacing extensive numbers of bins and it will also help us to mitigate against some of the misuse of our recycling bin policy.

“Many of our residents recycle faithfully and only a small proportion use the free replacement of bins wrongly.

“These changes to these policies and the frequency will allow us to contribute to the savings and indeed ensure that residents have the capacity to recycle within the borough.”

Council leader Brenda Warrington told the meeting that she had been part of the pilot scheme and found it was ‘easily achievable’.

In a statement issued after the meeting, executive member for neighbourhoods, Councillor Allison Gwynne, said they were under ‘enormous pressure’ to make savings while continuing to deliver services for residents and to support vulnerable children and adults.

“Doing nothing to make efficiencies is not an option,” she added.

“The changes we’ve agreed have been shown to work very well operationally in the pilot areas – with no negative impact on collections – but we have also listened to residents’ feedback and included provision for extra bin capacity for larger households and a fee waiver for new bins in certain circumstances.

“The approach of reducing collection frequency of recycling bins to provide the efficient use of resources brings Tameside in line with numerous other Greater Manchester authorities, where again it has proven to work well.

“Ultimately, the changes will make a huge difference in saving limited funds and this is an opportunity for everyone to get involved and positively help shape a sustainable and effective service for the future.”

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