Less rubbish. More recycling. Simpler recycling working.

North Lincolnshire residents are throwing less away and recycling more under the new simpler recycling collections.

The first full month of figures show a major shift in household recycling habits with hundreds of extra tonnes of material being recycled and composted instead of thrown away.

Compared to the same period last year, household recycling has increased by more than 28 per cent and food and garden waste collections are up by nearly 11 per cent. General waste has fallen by almost four per cent.

Cllr Rob Waltham, leader, North Lincolnshire Council, said: “I speak to residents all the time and most people want to recycle and do their bit, but we have to make it easy and practical for busy lives.

“That’s exactly what simpler recycling does. One bigger bin, no boxes, no sorting things out in the rain or worrying about what goes where.

“These figures show what can happen when an entire community makes small changes together. Less waste, more recycling and more material being reused instead of thrown away.

“And importantly, we’re doing it in a sensible way that works for residents and protects weekly food and garden waste collections at no extra cost, while many councils are charging families more and more every year.

“Protecting the environment and protecting jobs should go hand in hand. People want practical solutions that work in the real world and that’s exactly what this is delivering.”

The figures are the clearest sign yet that residents are embracing the new collections, which allow paper, cardboard, plastics, cans and glass to all be recycled together in one larger burgundy bin alongside weekly food and garden waste collections.

More than nine in ten councils now charge residents extra for garden waste collections, with some households elsewhere paying close to £100 a year. In North Lincolnshire, weekly food and garden waste collections continue at no extra cost.

Cllr Neil Poole, deputy leader and cabinet member for waste, said: “The message is simple – it works.

“We said making recycling easier would help people recycle more and throw less away, and that is exactly what these figures show.

“Everything goes into one larger burgundy bin and people are clearly using it.

“This is one of the biggest changes we’ve ever made to waste collections in North Lincolnshire and residents have really got behind it.”

Recycling collected in burgundy bins is taken to a material recovery facility, where screens, magnets and optical scanners separate paper, cardboard, plastics, metals and glass into clean streams ready for reuse.

Food and garden waste collected in brown bins is taken to a specialist composting facility, where it is naturally broken down in controlled conditions to create high-quality compost used in agriculture, landscaping and soil improvement.

The figures come as crews enter the final few days of collecting old burgundy recycling bins across the area, with all scheduled collections due to be completed this week.

Residents whose old burgundy bins have not yet been collected are being asked to report any outstanding old burgundy bins so crews can return. Go to the bins and recycling page of our website.