New data from the Tax Payers’ Alliance reveals significant variations in waste collection services across UK councils, highlighting disparities in the number of bins provided to residents and the impact of these services on council tax.
As local authorities continue to navigate financial pressures, Tax Payers’ Alliance (TPA) says the burden of waste separation increasingly falls on taxpayers, with some councils requiring residents to manage up to ten different waste receptacles.
In the 2022-23 period, Blaenau Gwent, Cotswold, and Merthyr Tydfil topped the list with the highest number of bins available for waste collection—ten in total. Meanwhile, Gosport provided only two bins, illustrating the wide-ranging approaches to waste management across the UK.
On average, UK councils offer four bins, with Wales leading as the region with the highest average number of bins available per council at six. In contrast, England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have an average of four bins per council.
This comes at a time when council tax is rising sharply, the TPA says. For the 2024-25 fiscal year, the average Band D property in England saw a £106 increase in council tax, representing a 5.1% rise—one of the largest on record. Despite these increases, many councils are struggling financially, with some, including Nottingham, Birmingham, and Woking, even declaring bankruptcy.
Blaenau Gwent residents, who paid the highest average Band D council tax in the UK at £2,099 per year, had to separate their waste into ten different bins
The data shows that 56 councils provided six or more bins for collection, adding to the complexity of waste management for residents. Pembrokeshire, which saw a 67% increase in council tax between 2012-13 and 2022-23, required residents to separate their waste into seven different receptacles, ranging from general waste bags to food caddies and garden bins.
Meanwhile, Blaenau Gwent residents, who paid the highest average Band D council tax in the UK at £2,099 per year, had to separate their waste into ten different bins.
An additional burden on residents is the growing trend of councils charging for extra bin services, the TPA says. Nearly 70% of councils now charge for additional bins, with garden waste being the most common service subject to fees. The TPA suggests this trend, combined with rising taxes and increasing complexity in waste separation, underscores the challenges facing both residents and councils as they navigate the future of waste management.
The TPA says that as councils struggle to balance their budgets, data shows that the responsibility for waste management is being shifted more and more to taxpayers. The number of bins residents must manage, combined with rising costs, highlights the growing disparity in waste collection services across the UK, it says.
In response to these challenges, the former Conservative UK government introduced its Simpler Recycling plan, which aims to streamline recycling across England.
While the plan aims to ease the burden on residents, its implementation has sparked debates about its impact on recycling effectiveness and council operations.
[Correction: 29 August]
We previously stated Simpler Recycling mandates all councils collect recycling in a single bin, regardless of the type of recyclable material. To clarify, there is no mandate for a single container, rather it allows council the use of a single co-mingled recycling bin without first having to undertake a TEP assessment.