By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
Old litter bins across Nottingham are being replaced to help give the city a new look and “massively reduce” the need for single-use plastic bags.
Nottingham City Council says the new bins will benefit the environment, because they do not need plastic bin bags.
The old bins, including the ‘Big Belly’ bins which were phased-out from 2020, typically needed 10,000 single-use plastic bags every year.
Changing the entire litter bin system will also help the authority in its work towards becoming carbon neutral by 2028.
Council delegated decision documents say: “Some of our current bin stock have come to the end of their shelf life.
“The bin replacement programme will offer best value as replacing the end of life bins now means the new bins will serve the residents of Nottingham for longer and give our city a new refreshed look.
“The new style 240-litre bins [will] help us progress towards CN28 as this will massively reduce the use of plastic bags used in bins as these style of bins do not require the use of bin bags to hold the rubbish.”
Replacing the old bins will cost £396,000, paid for using Government funding and some of the council’s existing budgets.
Each bin will cost £150 to install.
In total £291,000 will come from the Government’s Streets for People pot to pay for the replacement scheme in the first year, beginning May 2023.
The council will then need a further £35,000 annually for maintenance, paid for using its service area budget, over a three-year period ending in May 2026.
The council says it rejected the idea of replacing the bins with ‘smart bins’, like the old ‘Big Belly’ bins which used solar energy to compact rubbish inside, because they are not suitable within the design of the city.
Council documents add: “Some of these bins pose a health and safety hazard to residents and staff.”
