THERE has been a sharp increase in the number of missed bin collections in Bracknell and Wokingham. 

Between 2017/18 and 2019/20, the number of missed collections rose by 144 per cent in Bracknell, from 830 to 2,027.

Over the same three-year period, Wokingham saw the number of missed collections jump from 759 to 1,714. That’s a 125 per cent increase.

The figures were released by Bracknell Forest Council and Wokingham Borough Council, following to Freedom of Information requests.

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Kevin Gibbs, a director at Bracknell Forest Council, has previously said there was a spike in 2019 “due to the changes in collection rounds for all properties” during the summer.

He added: “Collection crews and customers had to learn new routes and new collection days, resulting in a peak of missed collections.

“However, crews are now settled into their new rounds and missed bin reports are back to normal levels.”

'Time to adjust'

Parry Batth, Wokingham Borough Council’s executive member for environment, said there was a rise because people “took time to adjust” after changes were made to garden and food waste collections in April 2019.

Cllr Batth said: “First of all, we introduced food waste recycling, which resulted in changes to the collection time for some of our residents—not changes to the day, but just minor changes to the time.

“The second change was to our garden waste recycling, which is picked up every other week.

“The change, which allowed us to continue with three collection vehicles, caused a change to either the day or the week for 80 per cent of our garden waste subscribers.

“The addition of food waste recycling has increased the total number of collections by approximately one third, as we have added food waste recycling to residual waste and recycling collections.

“So there are a lot more collections available to residents now.

“We recognise that it takes time to adjust to any changes, and some residents took time to adjust to putting out their garden waste out on the new day or week.

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“When we make significant changes to our waste and recycling collections such as introducing a new service, we anticipate an increase in missed collections.

“The important thing is that we continue to aim to be responsive.”

SUEZ collects bins in Bracknell on behalf of the council, at a cost of more than £2.2 million per year. That’s around £43,000 per week.

While Veolia is paid around £4 million a year to collect waste in Wokingham.

Wokingham Borough Council recently announced plans to swap black recycling boxes with plastic sacks, in a bid to save £400,000 a year.

Rule changes mean recycling plants no longer accept wet card and paper, and the council says around 4,000 tonnes of Wokingham’s soggy recycling could be rejected each year.

That’s why it has approved plans to spend £288,000 on the bags, which are sealable and reusable.