The three-week wait for black bin collection in Kenilworth has now been confirmed, as Warwickshire District Council approve proposals for a joint waste contract with Stratford District Council.

At a Warwick District Council Executive meeting on 17th November, Councillors gave the go ahead to start a procurement process to combine the refuse and recycling services.

The new approach, which was also agreed by Stratford District Council's Cabinet earlier this month, will involve the introduction of 'commingled recycling collections', or, in other words, 'a weekly food waste collection, two-weekly recyclable waste collections and three-weekly residual waste [black bag] collections'.

The new contract would commence in summer 2022, with the aim of encouraging recycling and reducing the amount of waste sent for disposal.

Warwick District Council's Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services Councillor Moira-Ann Grainger commented: "The joint waste service is a significant step as we continue to build closer working arrangements with our neighbours, and will bring benefits to residents across both districts.

"Currently, recycling rates in both Stratford and Warwick Districts exceed the Government's target of 50%. However, by moving to a 123+ system with weekly food waste collections, a simpler two weekly process for collecting recycling and three weekly non-recyclable waste collections we hope to improve these figures even further."

Warwick District Council's Portfolio Holder for Environment, Councillor Alan Rhead added: "A combined service also goes hand in hand with both Councils' commitment to tacking the issues around climate change and the environment.

"The new contract will bring with it more efficient vehicles and smarter routing as well as changes to food waste collection processes which will reduce the volume of harmful greenhouse gases entering our waste streams."

The red boxes used for recyclable waste in Warwick district homes will also be replaced by the 240-litre blue-topped bins that are already used in Stratford.

It is hoped that these changes will support the ambition of both councils to achieve carbon-neutral status for their districts by 2030.