Chorley Council is considering whether to change how often it empties residents’ bins.
The authority says it is reviewing its household rubbish operation ahead of the rollout of dedicated food waste collections early next year.
Under government legislation coming into force at the end of March 2026, local authorities will be obliged to provide residents with the means to separate leftover food from the rest of their rubbish – and to collect it from them once a week.
Currently in Chorley, the borough council collects non-recyclable rubbish – from householders’ green bins – every fortnight. Plastic and glass bottles, tins, cans and plastic pots, trays and tubs are also collected every two weeks, from blue bins. Paper and cardboard is picked up from brown bins every four weeks.
However, in response to research undertaken by the Taxpayers’ Alliance, the council said it was “undertaking a modelling exercise which is examining various changes in the frequency of bin collections”.
Expanding on its plans, when approached by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the authority stressed that nothing had yet been decided about how – and whether – the collection pattern might change.
Cllr Adrian Lowe, cabinet member for customer, streetscene and environment, said: “As a council, we are focusing on introducing domestic food collections in 2026 as directed by government. It’s a big step forward in our commitment to sustainability and reducing waste.
“To make sure this rolls out smoothly, we’re looking at how we can improve our waste and recycling services overall.
“No decisions have been made yet – we’re just exploring options to make sure we get this right for our residents. Our goal is to deliver a service that works well for our residents and supports our shared environmental goals,” Cllr Lowe added.
Last month, Chorley Council announced it was planning to increase the amount it charges residents who choose to have their garden waste collected – with the annual fee for a fortnightly grey bin collection set to rise by £2.50 to £40 per year.
Deputy leader Peter Wilson said of that move: “It’s never an easy decision to raise our charges, but this, alongside our making savings and efficiencies is the only way we can still support our communities each day.
“Our council tax rate remains one of the lowest in Lancashire, and our opt-in garden waste subscription is the equivalent to just £1.82 per collection.”
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