Kirklees residents can expect a new bin for paper and card by 2028, but difficulties have emerged about rolling out food waste collections across the district as questions remain around funding.

In September 2025, the then-Labour cabinet agreed that Kirklees would be taking part in the government’s Simpler Recycling initiative, which aims to make waste and recycling services more consistent across the country.

The legislation has already come into force for local authorities but Kirklees Council has been given some extra time to bring in the changes as it is tied into a waste contract until 2028.

In Kirklees, all households – of which there are around 190,000 – will be given a blue bin for their fibres (paper/card) and will be able to recycle more items, like glass and Tetra Paks, in their existing green bins.

In Kirklees, all households will be given a blue bin for their fibres (paper/card) and will be able to recycle more items, like glass and Tetra Paks, in their existing green bins. New collections are set to begin in 2028.

placeholder image — In Kirklees, all households will be given a blue bin for their fibres (paper/card) and will be able to recycle more items, like glass and Tetra Paks, in their existing green bins. New collections are set to begin in 2028.

New collections are set to begin by April 2028.

Kirklees homes are also expected to get a caddy for food waste but there are currently some challenges relating to this part of the plan.

A meeting of the environment and climate change scrutiny panel earlier this month heard an update from head of operational services, Will Acornley, who explained that the food waste collection part of the scheme won’t come into effect until the financial implications are better understood, though work is continuing in the background.

He explained: “The government has given us some capital funding. They have given us £900,000 for a communication campaign and to buy some containers and some vehicles.

“What we’re saying though is that that’s not enough to cover the full funds, and the entire basis of the food waste roll out was to be ‘no net burden’ – so, this was to introduce something to local authorities with no additional burden to local authorities. So that’s the conversation we want to have with government.

“If it goes well, if funding starts coming down the stream, the way that we’re procuring the disposal contract means that we can switch it on in time still.

“So, we’re not holding back on things where we can take decisions forward and have things ready, we’re just holding back on that final financial commitment towards vehicles, recruit staff etc, and start that comms campaign until we’re absolutely certain of what the financial picture is.”

Mr Acornley praised the government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for listening to the council and agreeing to meet with it.

Depending on the outcome of the talks, cabinet could ultimately be forced to decide whether the council is prepared to take on an additional financial burden to press ahead with food waste collections.

A council report to a meeting in September 2025 states that the government expects Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) payments – which come from packaging producers to cover the cost of packaging disposal and treatment – made to the council will cover the net costs incurred due to new Simpler Recycling legislation.

Kirklees has been allocated a yearly payment of £6.6m from EPR but says the actual cost of packaging disposal stands at £8.64m, leaving a gap of more than £2m.