A survey on council plans to change recycling collections to every three weeks – with residents given bigger bins – has received more than 22,000 responses.
It is among the highest number of replies City of York Council has ever received to a consultation.
If the recycling changes are given the go ahead, they would be rolled out across the city early next year.
The council asked residents to have their say on plans to increase the city’s recycling rates by moving to collecting it once every three weeks instead of every fortnight.
Under the plans, people would get larger bins and the timetable would change to see paper and card collected in week one, tins, plastic and glass collected in week two and garden waste collected in week three. Black bin collections would continue fortnightly.
A council spokesperson said workshops were also held, including events with people living on terraced streets.
Cllr Paula Widdowson thanked people for taking part. “Residents are doing a fantastic job of recycling in York. Kerbside recycling rates are doing really well, with around 43 per cent either being reused, recycled or composted.
“However, it has remained at this figure for a number of years and we now have a real opportunity to boost recycling across the city and help York become cleaner and greener, by introducing more efficient waste vehicles and helping residents to recycle even more.”
New garden bins
A spokesperson added that a £400,000 order for wheeled bins placed by the council before the end of the consultation is not related to the changes but for the ongoing supply of bins to new homes or to replace damaged containers.
Under the planned changes, residents would get a new 240-litre garden waste wheelie bin and a 180-litre bin for plastic, tins and glass.
Households would also get two boxes for paper and cardboard instead of the one box under current arrangements.
The council will also look at collection garden waste all year and the possibility of extending garden waste collections to some terraced streets.
The local authority is not currently looking at collecting more types of plastic for recycling or food waste. They say they are waiting for government guidance but may consider adding food waste and further types of plastic collections in future.
The survey feedback will be discussed by senior councillors at a meeting on June 20, when a decision is due to be made.