Black bins could be collected every three weeks under new proposals being considered by Rutland County Council. 

Like all local authorities, the council will have to introduce a new food waste collection scheme from 2026, which will involve purchasing new vehicles and a shift around of the existing collection rota. 

Currently black general waste bins and brown recycling bins are collected on alternate weeks and residents can opt into a paid for green waste scheme. From 2026, residents will be provided with new food waste caddies which will be collected each week from the kerbside. 

The council will discuss the issue in a private cabinet session next week, and although the financial details are not being given, the report says unless central government provides more money, a three-weekly collection of general waste is the only solution: 

"At this time, the only affordable option for residual waste collection, without new burdens funding, is a three-weekly collection of residual waste, as set out in exempt Appendix C.  

"Decisions on the design of the residual waste collection will be considered as part of budget setting, in the context of the wider council financial position, when the new burdens allocation is known and there is more clarity on statutory requirements for a minimum of frequency of residual collections." 

The authority has been given £500,000 to cover the new requirement for food waste pickups and has bought new food trucks. (Photo: LDRS)

The authority has been allocated £534,246 from the government to introduce the new weekly food waste collection. The government has said there will also be some 'new burden's funding, but how much Rutland will be allocated is unclear. 

Council leader Gale Waller (Lib Dem) says the authority is being disadvantaged by having to bring in a new food waste scheme, midway through its current contract. 

A media release put out by the authority today says she will put pen to paper to tell the Labour government that the authority has a shortfall of £190,000.  

Cllr Waller said: "There is clear disadvantage to Rutland in being mandated to introduce the new service prior to the end of the contract in 2028. 

 "It would be a more sensible and affordable approach to wait until the end of the current contract term, March 2028, to introduce the new service as part of a new contract.  The introduction mid-contract is likely to be more expensive in the short-term and the new burden funding allocation is still unknown. 

"We are again appealing for additional capital to support the purchase of essential vehicles and equipment and are asking Defra to reconsider the capital allocation given the specific circumstances and rurality of Rutland.' 

The authority said last month that just under 60 per cent of the waste currently being thrown away in the general waste black bins could be recycled or go into a food waste bin and is calling on residents to think before they place waste in the black bin. 

The council's portfolio holder for transport, environment and communities, Cllr Christine Wise (Lib Dem) said: "In order to comply with the introduction of statutory food waste collections in 2026 we have to look at changes to the current refuse and recycling collections as well as wider service changes to mitigate the additional costs. 

"These changes are being recommended in principle at the moment as we await the Government's announcement of New Burdens Funding in April 2025, which we hope will cover the cost of the service introduction. 

"It is clear that difficult decisions are going to have to be made and once we know more about the funding position we will look again at our options and consult with our residents."