Overhaul of bins service

A major shake-up to Cannock Chase's waste collection service is in the pipeline with the launch of a pilot scheme to reduce the number of bins.

Two hundred households across the district are to be guinea pigs to test new single-stream equipment, where residents no longer need to sort their recycling into different boxes.

Instead, their cardboard, paper, plastic containers, carrier bags and glass would go into one single bin to be taken away and separated elsewhere by the equipment.

The pilot could be rolled out as early as next month.

If it works, there are hopes the other 40,000 households in the district will be brought on board to make savings for Cannock Chase Council's coffers.

Councillor Tony Williams said: "No decision has been made yet about which homes will pilot it and the date it will start. But I would personally like to see it start before Christmas because of the advantages of getting it in place to help recycle all the wrapping paper.

"If the single stream is successful it would mean residents would not have to separate recyclables into different boxes and we would make some savings from having one lorry going around instead of two."

Households chosen for the scheme will see their green bin given a blue lid, effectively replacing the blue boxes and white bags.

Food and garden waste will still go in the brown bin and each home will be given a small black bin for their general waste.