OVER the past few weeks and until next month, Bromsgrove District Council has been delivering new bins to 30,000 homes.
With the implementation, the Standard held a question and answer session with the authority’s Assistant Director for Environmental Services, Simon Parry, to find out all residents need to know about the bins and their collections.
Q – What exactly are the changes being made to the bins?
A – We’re replacing all old ‘diamond’ style bins, identifiable by the large pocket on the outside, starting with grey (residual waste) and green (recycling) bins. Brown garden waste bins will follow before the 2026 service restarts.
All new bins have grey bodies with coloured lids –
- Green lid: recycling (paper, card, cans, jars, bottles, tubs, trays, pots, lids)
- Grey lid: residual waste
- Brown lid: garden waste (for subscribers)
Q – How are the bins being created?
A – We’re replacing bins round-by-round. Each round covers a geographical area, for green and grey bin collections two weeks. New bins are delivered and assembled usually in advance, and old bins are broken down and collected immediately after they’re emptied.
In this way we’re replacing around 3,000 bins a week for 20 weeks, plus additional ‘mop-up’ collections for missed or delayed bins.
Q – Do I have to do anything as part of the change?
A – No. When it’s your turn, you don’t need to do anything very special.
Just put your old bin out on your usual collection day, leave it out, and we’ll take care of the rest. We’ll aim to collect the old one shortly after it’s been emptied.
Ensuring your old bin has been put out for collection and emptied, even if not full, really helps the efficiency of the process and reduces the need for mop up rounds.
Q: Why are the changes being made?
A – The old bin type is obsolete. We were the last council in the UK still using them, which made it impossible to source compatible vehicles and parts.
Switching to UK-standard bins allows us to modernise our fleet and improve service reliability.
Picture by Ashleigh Osborne. Copyright Bullivant Media Group Ltd.
Q: What if my bin is all the same colour?
A – Don’t worry – it’s the shape that matters. If your bin has the large pocket on the outside, it must be replaced. If not, it’s OK. New bins have coloured lids, but their body is always grey to save costs.
Q: How will this improve Bromsgrove District’s bin service?
A – Standardising bins means fewer breakdowns, better reliability, and in a pinch access to shared resources like rented vehicles or those of neighbouring councils.
It also allows us to upgrade our fleet and avoid the rising costs of maintaining outdated equipment. Most importantly, it ensures we can continue collecting bins in future.
The old ones will soon be unserviceable!
Q: Is there anything else residents should know?
A – While the rollout is carefully planned, things don’t always go perfectly.
Missed bins, access issues, or delays are expected.
That’s why we also have dedicated resources doing ‘mop-up’ bin deliveries and collections throughout the week, including Saturdays, to minimise disruption.
We’re advising people to check our special web page – www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/NewBins2025 – to see if their area is up next, and there is a reporting form there for any issues.
Q – When is my bin day?
A – Click here and enter your postcode to find out which day your different bins are collected.
