Future waste and recycling collections

New waste collection contract FAQs

Herefordshire Council are pleased to announce the award of the new waste collection contract to FCC following the conclusion of a thorough and robust procurement process.

FCC are our current collection provider and bring with them a wealth of experience and knowledge of completing household and business waste collections across Herefordshire.

When is the new rubbish and recycling collection contract starting?

The new collection contract will start on the 1 September 2024.

Will there be any changes to collection this year?

Rubbish and recycling collections will remain the same for the vast majority of residents in 2024.

Should there be any change to your collection service we will contact you directly.

Will my collection day change when the new contract starts?

In order to increase operational efficiency a small number of properties may change collection day.  If your collection day is due to change we will notify you well in advance.

We will continue provide the online collection day look up and collection day calendars so collection days can be checked easily.

Is there anything that I need to do?

Please put your rubbish and recycling out for collection at the boundary of your property closest to the public highway by 6.30am on your collection day.

This will ensure that you get a collection even if the time that the lorry arrives at your house changes.

When will a food waste collection service be introduced?   

The collection of food waste will not be introduced in 2024. Food waste collections will be part of the package of new services being phased in at a later date.     

Is the garden waste collection service changing?   

The collection of garden waste will remain the same in 2024. 

Home composting garden waste can be free and provides you with a useful fertilizer for your garden. Visit our garden waste and composting pages for more information.

Garden waste can also be taken to our Household Recycling Centre free of charge. You will need to book a slot to visit the House Recycling Centre.

If you would like your garden waste collected from your property you will need to purchase Herefordshire Council Garden Waste sacks and leave these out for collection next to your black bin. Please note this garden waste is not composted.

The council is assessing future options for the collection of garden waste from residential properties and is evaluating the introduction of a paid-for subscription-based collection service which would ensure the garden waste is sent for composting.

Introducing a separate garden waste collection service for composting will support the council's vision to increase recycling rates as set out in our Integrated Waste Management Strategy 2021-2035.

Is the Council on track to hit their 2030 Carbon net-zero goals?   

Herefordshire Council are on track to achieve their carbon net-zero goal in 2030. We are constantly looking at how best we can help our residents and businesses reduce the waste they generate and minimize the impact they have on the environment. The long-term ambition to reach our goal remains unchanged. For more information visit our climate pages.

What about the Government’s announcement of 'Simpler Recycling'?   

We are currently awaiting further information from central government regarding the new 'Simpler Recycling' scheme.   

Visit the reduce, reuse and recycle section of our website for advice on reducing your waste at home.

Not all waste can be recycled, what will continue to happen to non-recyclable waste? 

Non-recyclable waste will continue to be sent to EnviRecover – where it is used to create electricity. In the year 2022/2023, 99% of all non-recyclable waste collected by Herefordshire Council was processed at EnviRecover and we are on track to achieve this again in the year 2023/2024.