Oldham Council is reminding residents that changes to the way they collect rubbish and recycling start from Monday, October 3.
During the week all bin collections across the borough will switch from a two-weekly to a three-weekly cycle – with food and garden collections remaining weekly.
When the new pattern is rolled out some residents will start with a grey bin collection, some with a blue bin collection and some with a brown bin collection.
By the end of the first three-week cycle all residents will have had all of their bins emptied.
The changes aim to improve the council’s recycling rate and reduce the amount spent on general rubbish disposal by as much as £3 million over the next two years.
The pattern will see grey bins for general rubbish collected one week; blue bins for paper and card the week after; and brown bins for glass, plastics and tins the following week.
Food and garden waste will still be collected on a weekly basis and this service will be rolled out to a small remaining number of rural properties that didn’t previously have it.
Councillor Barbara Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Co-operatives, said: “We have been busy preparing for the roll out of the scheme and we are confident it will continue to provide value for money for residents.
“Over the next few years we want to see to our recycling rates increase so we don’t have to pay huge financial penalties.
“By cutting disposal costs we’ll be helping to save council tax payers’ money, which can be used on other essential public services.
“Over the next two years we need to make £37m worth of savings. Making these changes to collections will help avoid further costs putting even more pressure on our budget.
“Cuts in government funding have meant doing nothing is not an option so we’ve had to change the way our frontline services work.”
Under the new scheme your collection day will stay the same. A small number of properties have been affected slightly differently and have been notified.
Details of the new service can be found on the council website at www.oldham.gov.uk/waste or by calling 0161 770 6644.
