Residents in Bootle, Merseyside, will see the price of getting rid of large household items rise from 7 February 2026. Sefton Council is increasing the charge for bulky waste collections by 3.8% as part of a move toward a ‘full cost recovery’ model to cover the rising costs of the service.
The price change applies to bulky household items that are unsuitable for a standard wheeled bin, such as mattresses, fridges and sofas (sofas are counted as an item per seat). Cllr Peter Harvey, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Street Scene, is the lead councillor on waste services; Sefton Council has said the increase is intended to ensure the service is funded by users rather than subsidised from other council budgets.
The move follows other recent changes in local waste management, including the 2025 ‘sacks to bins’ rollout designed to reduce litter and illegal dumping in the community, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.
Council documents on ModGov show the authority is moving toward a full cost recovery model. This follows a separate, larger rise in 2025 — when charges increased (from £14 to £25 for three items) after new Environment Agency regulations on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) changed how upholstered furniture must be handled; that 2025 change took effect in March 2025.
Sefton Council says the updated prices will be published on its digital portal and phone booking system from 7 February 2026. The changes come ahead of Sefton’s all-out local elections in May 2026, when all council seats will be contested under newly drawn ward boundaries, a point highlighted by the local Conservative group.
