New Forest District Council pushing ahead with wheelie bin plans
That's despite some objections from residents
Council bosses in the New Forest are pushing ahead with plans to change waste collections - despite concern from households.
If plans are signed off this summer, homes across the area will get wheelie bins for the first time in 2024.
Some are worried they'll ruin the area's 'tranquil charm'.
But Chris Noble - waste services manager at New Forest District Council - says it's to boost recycling and reduce the use of plastic sacks:
"The Council currently distributes 10 million single plastic sacks per year to provide the current recycling and waste service. We want to find a way to reduce that number. Recycling will be placed loose into a wheeled bin, reducing the need for a clear sack.
"We also know that a lot of residents put a kitchen waste bag into a black bag before placing it out for collection at the moment. In future, that kitchen waste bag can go straight into the wheeled bin, negating the need for a black bag as well."
The District Council's released a seven minute long video to go through some of the Frequently Asked Questions on the changes to waste and recycling collections.
It covers subjects like why the service is being altered, how it'll impact recycling rates and how they think wheelie bins will help to improve that.
The authority wants to make changes to their waste services as the District currently has one of the worst recycling rates in the country.
Latest figures suggest 34% of waste in the New Forest is recycled - that's lower than three quarters of local authorities in England.
There's a national target to recycle 55% of rubbish by 2025.
A final decision on the waste strategy is due in July, before the service changes are made in 2024.