Co-Mingled Recycling FAQs
Council is progressing towards a ‘co-mingled’ collection service.
This will see all dry recycling materials being placed into one bin.
Households in Ballymena and Carrickfergus will receive a new 240L blue bin.
Larne area residents will continue to use the blue bin they have.
When?
Q. When will the new dry recycling collection model be rolled out?
A. The new collection model is expected to be fully rolled out in 2026/27.
There will be further communications on this closer to the time.
What?
Q. What is waste harmonisation?
A. Waste harmonisation refers to the process of creating consistent practices for waste management and recycling across the borough.
It involves aligning collections to improve efficiency and effectiveness to reduce waste and increase recycling rates.
Mid and East Antrim residents will see a standardised way in which their recycling is collected from the kerbside.
Q. What is the new dry recycling collection model?
A. Council has opted for a ‘co-mingled’ collection model.
This means all households will be provided with a 240 litre blue bin in which residents can place all accepted dry recycling material.
There will be no need to segregate out materials.
Q. Are there any materials I still need to separate?
A. There are no planned changes to your brown or black bin collections.
Food and garden waste should continue to be placed in your brown bin.
Why?
Q. Why should I recycle?
A. Recycling our waste is a legal requirement and saves ratepayers money.
It is also good for the environment and helps make our borough a place to be proud of.
Material collected in the new blue bin will be recycled into new products.
This helps to reduce the demand for raw materials that are often environmentally damaging to obtain, leading to deforestation and mining pollution.
Recycling companies also provide local employment and investment in Northern Ireland.
Q. Why do recycling collections need to be harmonised?
A. Currently, Mid and East Antrim operates two collection models – kerbside boxes in Ballymena and Carrickfergus and a blue bin model in Larne.
Through the draft Circular Economy Strategy, Councils across Northern Ireland were set ambitious recycling targets of 55% recycling by 2025, yet in 2023/24 Mid & East Antrim achieved a recycling rate of 50.67%.
In addition to this, the Strategy has set a 60% recycling target by 2040, 65% by 2035.
The aim of standardising the collection process and adopting an easier and simpler recycling model is to lead to greater participation from residents and improved recycling performance.
How? Blue Bin Dry Recycling Collections
Q. What recycling materials can I place in the new blue bin collection model?
A. All currently accepted dry recycling materials will continue to be accepted in a co-mingled model including paper (including plain envelopes), cardboard, plastic, food and drink aluminium and steel cans, aerosols, clean foil, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays and juice cartons and glass.
For a full list of what is accepted and what is not, visit our Blue Bin information page.
Q. What will I do with plastic bags and wrapping (soft plastics)?
A. Although these types of plastics can not go in the blue bin they can be accepted at plastic bag recycling points at most of the major supermarkets - visit the Recycle Now website for more information.
Q. What types of glass will I be able to recycle?
A. All glass bottles and jars will be accepted.
All lids can be kept on the glass bottles and jars.
Q. What is the recycling capacity of the blue bin?
A. 240 litre capacity (this is the same size as a standard black or brown bin).
Q. How many blue 240 litre bins am I allowed?
A. Each household across Mid and East Antrim will initially be given one 240 litre bin.
If in future you require additional capacity, you can request an extra 240 litre bin.
Q. How often will the blue bin be collected?
A. Blue recycling bins will be collected on a fortnightly basis.
Q. What time does my blue bin need to be placed at kerbside?
A. Residents will be asked to place their bin at kerbside by 7am on their scheduled collection day.
Residents will be asked to keep it out until 6pm, to ensure collection.
Q. Can I set out extra materials alongside the new blue bin?
A. All bins are to have closed lids, and no additional side waste will be collected.
*Materials placed in the blue bin should be as clean as possible and squashed down to maximise the available capacity.
Costs
Q. What about the cost to recycle this blue bin material?
A. It is more cost effective to recycle than to place these materials into your black bin.
Recycling is a service covered in householder’s rates.
The blue bin will be provided free of charge.
Seeking advice and information
Q. How will I know when the new collection model will go live?
A. Council will be delivering a dedicated communications campaign on the run up to the planned service change, and during the initial roll out.
Council’s website will also be updated to inform residents about the new collection model.
Residents can also download the Bin-ovation app which is an easy go-to platform to find this information.
Q. How will I know my scheduled collection day?
A. Residents can navigate to Council’s Bin Collection Dates webpage, enter their address to find this information.
Q. How do I contact Council if I have a specific dry recycling-related question?
A. Residents can look up the Council website for information.
Should they need to speak to someone, they can contact us by E: waste.helpdesk@midandeastantrim.gov.uk or T: 0300 124 5000 and speak to a member of the waste helpdesk team.
Q. What if I need help with this new service?
A. Residents who need assistance with their bin collection can apply for our assisted waste collection service, you can contact us by E: waste.helpdesk@midandeastantrim.gov.uk or T: 0300 124 5000 and speak to a member of the waste helpdesk team.
Larne area questions
Q. I already have a blue bin, what will these changes mean for me?
A. Larne area residents will be able to continue using the blue bins they currently have.
The only change in the service (once it goes live) is that glass can be placed into the main body of the blue bin.
Residents will no longer need to use the glass caddy insert.
Q. What will I do with my glass caddy insert?
A. Larne area residents can keep their glass caddy inserts, however once the new collection model is rolled out, the caddy insert will no longer be used for recycling purposes.
Ballymena/Carrickfergus area questions
Q. What will happen to my existing kerbside boxes?
A. Ballymena and Carrickfergus residents will be able to keep their boxes, however once the new collection model is rolled out, boxes will no longer be used for recycling purposes.
Q. I don’t have storage space for the kerbside boxes, can I give these back to Council?
A. Residents will be able to drop boxes down to their local Household Recycling Centre where they can be placed into the hard plastics container for recycling.
Flats/apartments questions
Q. I live in a flat/apartment with shared recycling containers – what does this new collection model mean for me?
A. Residents living in flats/apartments will be provided with a sufficient number of blue bins to accommodate their dry recycling needs.
This will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.