Haverhill households will see a significant expansion in what they can put in their recycling bins when West Suffolk Council launches its new Better Recycling service on 1 June 2026. The move comes as part of a national effort to standardise recycling across England, following requirements set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
From June, the blue-lidded recycling bins will accept a much wider variety of items that previously required a trip to recycling banks. This includes glass bottles and jars, drinks cartons, plastic pots, tubs and trays, plastic bottles, carrier bags, bubble wrap, empty food bags, tin foil, and empty aerosols. In addition to these changes, households are receiving new 240-litre green-lidded bins for paper and card, along with outdoor and kitchen caddies for weekly food waste collections.
The council is introducing these changes to help improve local recycling rates, which stood at 37.12 per cent for 2023-24. This figure remains below the national average for England, which typically sits between 44 and 45 per cent. Cllr David Taylor, Cabinet Member for Operations at West Suffolk Council, described the update as an exciting opportunity for the community to reduce general waste and increase the amount of material recycled.
As the service launch approaches, information packs are being delivered to residents throughout May. These packs contain updated collection calendars, detailing that food waste will be collected weekly, while paper, card, and mixed recycling will be collected on a four-week cycle. Residents are reminded not to use their new green-lidded bins until the service officially begins on 1 June 2026. Further details and resources can be found on the Suffolk Recycles website.
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