National changes to waste collections could have a significant impact on York’s main tip.
The changes are designed to encourage more recycling.
Regulations due to come into force from March 2026 will require councils to collect plastic food, drinks and other liquid cartons, with plastic film and bags included from 2027.
A City of York Council report stated the changes would likely have a significant impact on its waste collection service including on demand for bin lorries and staff.
It added if York council loses its weekly food waste collection exemption its Hazel Court tip, which is already running at close to capacity, would face significantly more pressure.
In recent months there have been long queues to get into the tip, causing traffic jams on James Street.
The report says: “These measures will have a significant impact on the service provided, including but not limited to the demand for vehicles; staffing levels; container provision, such as caddies or liners for food waste; behavioural change, and communications with residents.
“It should also be borne in mind that if food waste collections do become mandatory, this would place additional pressure on space at the operating depot at Hazel Court which is
coming close to capacity.
“The proposed government changes will also have a substantial impact on CYC collections from business and communal properties in York, as collections from the latter are managed
through the commercial rounds due to the large bin sizes and for some properties in the city centre.
“Investigations are currently underway to look at how recycling collections form these properties can be managed in such a way as to reduce comingling and enhance the rebate from communal recycling collections.”
It adds: “The introduction of carton collections is likely to have a small impact on overall tonnages and a slightly larger impact on the volume of recycling collected.
“This will need to be accompanied by an education campaign to advise residents on the need to rinse and squash cartons to reduce space and avoid contamination.”
Green waste update
Meanwhile, the report reveals almost three fifths of eligible York households have signed up for garden waste collections since the introduction of charges earlier this year.
A total of 39,301 out of around 66,000 eligible households, 59.4 per cent, had signed up to the Garden Waste Subscription Scheme since its launch in August.
report stated the sale of subscriptions, costing £21 this year and £46.50 from 2025, was very high but garden waste collection rates were expected to fall as a result.
But figures showed there were 2,215 fewer visits to tips since the introduction of charges in early August to the end of September compared to the same period in 2023.
The report stated the dip from 32,545 to 30,239 may have been due to the weather and it was too early to draw definitive conclusions.
It comes as York joined the more than 70 per cent of councils which charge for garden waste collections when it introduced the charges.
The council’s economy, place, access and transport committee heard efforts to stop households trying to get green waste collected for free if they had not subscribed had also proved successful.
Council environment spokesperson Cllr Jenny Kent said those households had had waste collected the first time and had been given an ‘oops’ sticker the second time before collections stopped.
The executive member said the approach attempted to change behaviour rather than take punitive enforcement action.