CHANGES to how household waste is collected in the New Forest will be decided this summer, subject to anticipated government legislation.

If approved at a council meeting in July, New Forest District Council’s (NFDC) waste strategy would see the introduction of wheelie bins to replace plastic refuse sacks.

The proposals would mean, from 2024, households will be able to recycle food waste, a wider range of plastics, and have more frequent glass collections.

This will be possible with a new weekly food waste caddy collection and an alternate weekly collection system, where general waste will be collected one week and recycling the next, both in wheelie bins.

Cllr Steve Davies, NFDC’s portfolio holder for environment, said: “Making changes to our waste and recycling service is vital. Not least because we are in a climate and nature emergency.

“The amount of waste we recycle now is 34 per cent, which puts us at 174 out of 216 councils in England. We must achieve the UK national target of 55 per cent by 2025.”