Overview

• Lewes District Council will collect residual waste every two weeks from November 2025 while keeping weekly food waste pickups.
• West Berkshire Council will switch to three-weekly general waste collections starting September 22, 2025, and is offering extra bin capacity for larger or vulnerable households.
• Lewes currently recycles about 41 percent of its household waste, and West Berkshire analysis found that 42 percent of black bin contents is recyclable and 22 percent is food waste.
• Both authorities expect that fewer collection rounds will reduce carbon emissions, lower operating costs and help meet the government’s 55 percent recycling target by 2028.
• Residents have submitted petitions and voiced concerns online over storage space, hygiene and perceived cost-cutting priorities, prompting further community consultations.