Liverpool’s communal bin collection stations are set for a major upgrade under new plans to improve their appearance, boost recycling and help tackle fly-tipping.
At a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 29 July, members will be asked to approve contractors who will provide permanent housing units for the existing communal bins.
There are currently 850 collection stations across the city (pictured above), providing bins for households with limited alleyway space behind their properties.
They were first introduced between 2018 and 2022 in response to concerns raised by residents around the storage of household waste within alleyways.
Now, work is being carried out to provide dedicated, durable housing for the existing bins, creating a cleaner, more attractive and integrated look.
Other councils across the country have successfully introduced similar units, such as Glasgow.
The new housing will also include messaging for residents to help them identify which items belong in each bin, as well as how to get support with other waste issues such as bulky waste collections.
Through clear guidelines, it is hoped that the dedicated units will help to reduce fly-tipping in communal bin areas.
All communal bins across Liverpool currently offer both dry recycling and household waste facilities, but this offer is also set to be extended in the future to include a new food waste collection bin.
Since September last year, the council has been rolling out weekly food waste collections.
These new collections take leftover food out of the purple bin and into a specially designed caddy before it gets taken away on a weekly basis to be recycled.
People will be contacted with instructions on how to use the new food waste bin ahead of its rollout in their area. Council officers have already been visiting properties receiving food waste collections to help residents adapt to the changes. They will also be out in the community engaging with households that use communal bins before the service is introduced.
