Give your thoughts on proposal to standardise household recycling collections across the Borough
Monday 9 June 2025
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is seeking the views of residents on the new dry recycling collection model which was agreed at Full Council on the 3 April.
Council officers are progressing with the approved collection model - which will be a fully ‘co-mingled’ collection service due to be rolled out in 2026/27.
It will see all dry recycling materials being placed into one bin and households in Ballymena and Carrickfergus will receive a new 240L blue bin. Larne area residents will continue to use the blue bin they have, but after full roll out, will no longer need to use their glass caddy. Collection of the blue recycling bin will be on a fortnightly basis.
The survey will be live from Monday 9 June until Sunday 31 August 2025. Residents can complete the survey online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/WasteResidentsSurvey or can pick up a hard copy at one of the three main Council receptions located at The Braid, Larne Market Yard and Carrick Civic Centre or at one of Council’s three leisure centres.
Once completed, Council will analyse the responses and establish a timetable for rolling out the new recycling collection service. Residents are asked to continue using their current recycling collection service until further notification.
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford, welcomed the proposal and said:
“Council have long sought to standardise waste collection provisions across the three legacy Boroughs and improve the service for all residents in Mid and East Antrim.
“The proposal leads the way to increasing Mid and East Antrim’s recycling capacity for households, in a simplified way. It will also see Council investing in fleet and staffing to provide a more adaptable and efficient recycling service.”
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, legislation has set a 60% recycling target by 2040, 65% by 2035. The new Climate Change (NI) Act 2022 also brings an even more ambitious target of 70% recycling by 2030, however it would also require local businesses to participate in recycling.
The Waste Harmonisation Sub-Committee considered early feedback from residents (Through the MEA Residents Survey 2025) who called for greater focus on simplifying recycling collections. They identified the need to make it easier for households to participate in the recycling process and support Council’s waste initiatives.
Residents can find out more information about the planned changes in our Waste Harmonisation FAQs: www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/recycle