Shropshire householders can now request an additional wheelie bin for recycling cans, glass and plastic at the kerbside after councillors approved an investment of almost £3 million to fund the extra bin.

The plans were agreed by Shropshire Council’s Cabinet in July 2021, but the funding had to be approved at a meeting of the full council on Thursday, January 13.

The first bins are set to be delivered from May this year, starting in the south Shropshire area with deliveries then being made in other parts of the county.

The bin – which is optional and free – will replace the existing black recycling boxes, and help to increase the amount of waste recycled by providing households with a larger container.

Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for waste and recycling, said: “I’m delighted that council has agreed to fund the rollout of the additional bin for and that people are now able to order theirs.

“The provision of a bin for recycling is a direct response to residents’ comments and requests – and is a pledge we made in our election manifesto last year.

“It’s clear that it’s something that many people want, and it’s something that will help us to boost the amount of waste that is recycled in Shropshire.”

The new recycling bins will also reduce the amount of waste lost to the recycling process after being blown out of the boxes on windy days.

It will make the storage of recycling more convenient for residents, and reduce the amount of bending and lifting for residents and waste and recycling crews.

Assuming that just over 140,000 households (96.7 per cent) request a bin, the total cost of providing them would be £2.93m.

Some households may not want a bin due to housing layout or the lack of storage space for the bin. These residents would be able to continue to use their existing waste containers, as will those residents who simply prefer to use boxes.

People will also be able to use their new bin as well as their recycling boxes.

To request a bin people should go to shropshire.gov.uk/requestmixedrecyclingbin to place an order online.