Recycling rates rise following move to three-weekly collections in Flintshire

A new report shows that Flintshire Council has surpassed the Welsh Government’s 70% recycling target following the introduction of three-weekly black bin collections.

The report covers the performance from quarter one to quarter three of the 2025/26 financial year and highlights a significant improvement in recycling rates and waste minimisation across the county.

Figures verified by Natural Resources Wales show that in quarter one, Flintshire’s recycling rate was 70.87% and in quarter two it increased to 75.13%. Quarter three is currently being verified with early indications showing improvements on the previous year.

While the council is celebrating Flintshire’s recycling performance, the report also acknowledges that some residents experience missed bin collections during the early stages of the new service as crews and collection rounds adjusted to the new arrangements.

Since then, the performance has continued to stabilise as the new system has bedded in, and new initiatives have been implemented.

Councillor Glyn Banks, Cabinet member for Waste and Transportation, said:

“The move to three-weekly collection has helped Flintshire achieve a recycling rate of more than 70% in the first three quarters of the financial year, which is a fantastic result and reflects the huge effort residents are making to recycle more and reduce waste.

“We recognise that the change in collection schedules also led to some missed bins, particularly in the early stages, however I can assure residents that since then we have streamlined our processes, upgraded the systems and have introduced an improved recording system. We continue to strive to ensure the service runs as smoothly as possible while maintaining this fantastic recycling performance.”

The report will be considered by Cabinet later this month.