First new-style bigger blue bins delivered to Sheffield households
All of them will be in place by Christmas
These are the huge new blue bins you are set to get in Sheffield from this week.
Sheffield Council has confirmed that it is starting to roll out the new 240-litre blue bins for paper and card recycling, which are replacing the ones that people have been using in recent years.
Deliveries started on Monday, and by December, all households will have their bigger blue bin. Deliveries are scheduled in line with bin collection rounds, with the new bins delivered on the same day as blue bin collection.
The new blue bin is the same size as existing black and brown bins.
After the large blue bin has been delivered, households will no longer be able to use their small blue bin for paper and card.
On the black bin collection date on the week before the bigger blue bin delivery, a tag will be attached to the black bin. The tag advises residents:
> Their large blue bin will be delivered the following week on their scheduled blue bin collection day
> To put their small blue bin out as normal for its final collection
> To tick the box on the tag and attach the tag to their small blue bin, if they wish to keep their existing bin for storage. This will inform the crew not to remove the bin.
The larger blue bin will be delivered on the same day as the final blue bin collection, and a separate crew will remove the small blue bin - again on the same day.
Residents will receive a leaflet at the same time as the larger blue bin, advising them of the delivery and providing information about what happens to the contents of the blue and brown recycling bins once collected.
Councillor Mark Rusling, Chair of Environmental Services and Regulation Policy Committee at Sheffield Council, said: “This is our response to what residents asked for and its great news to see the rollout starting today.
“Thousands of residents told us in our 2024 consultation that their current bin simply just isn’t big enough for the level of paper and card they recycle. Not only is this new bigger blue bin about improving our services for residents, but it’s also good for our city and our net zero targets.
“We’re all helping the planet by recycling as much as possible so today feels like the start of even better city recycling rates. Thank you to everyone who recycles - every bit of extra recycling we do makes a difference.
“Our figures show, based on tonnage recycled over the last year, that we save nearly £700,000 every year due to our residents recycling blue and brown bin materials rather than just putting that waste into their black bin. That’s money that can be invested of spent on other important services.”
Residents have been continuing to recycle their glass, tins and plastic bottles in their brown bin and from April this year were able to add plastic pots, tubs, trays, aerosols, foil and cartons.
Later in the year, households can request a second brown bin if they want one, and larger households can also ask for an additional blue bin, all options that pave the way for increased overall recycling.
Collection cycles will remain unchanged. Weekly collections will continue. Black bins are collected every two weeks and recycling bins every four weeks.
The changes follow the Council’s ‘Simpler Recycling’ consultation in September 2024, which received 10,000 responses supporting clearer, easier recycling and better environmental outcomes. Councils across England are required to introduce simpler recycling systems.
From March 31, 2027, plastic films will also be added to the list of items that can be recycled. Packaging producers now pay new UK-wide fees under the national Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system.