Press Release

28 May 2025

Changes to Fareham recycling services

Fareham Borough Council’s Executive has approved plans that pave the way for 'Simpler Recycling' across the Borough to be introduced from March 2026.

As a result, the Council can confirm that:

Fortnightly household waste collections will continue as always. However, collection days may change for some households, and residents will be notified as soon as details have been finalised.
Free weekly food waste collections for all Fareham residents will be introduced from 30 March 2026. Fareham residents will be provided with an outside food waste caddy for kerbside collection, as well as a smaller kitchen caddy to collect food waste in the home.
There will be no change to materials collected for recycling in residents’ blue-lidded recycling bins until the new Materials Recycling Facility opens at the end of 2027.
Additional glass collection bins will be provided around the Borough for residents to take their glass waste.
The Council will continue to offer the Clip and Collect garden waste subscription and Bulky Waste collection services as usual.

Required under the Environment Act 2021, 'Simpler Recycling' aims to increase household recycling rates by making it possible for people across the country to recycle the same materials without needing to check what their council will accept. Fareham Borough Council is committed to increasing recycling rates and reducing the Borough's impact on the environment.

Unfortunately, wider recycling will take a little longer as Hampshire County Council’s current waste disposal infrastructure cannot process paper, card, metal, glass and plastics in a way that is compliant with the new Simpler Recycling requirements and so Fareham Borough Council cannot collect glass from residents' kerbsides without incurring significant additional costs.

The new food waste collections will increase the Council’s recycling performance from 37% to an estimated 55%. Kerbside glass collections would only deliver an estimated 1% improvement.

Executive Member for Streetscene, Cllr Ian Bastable, said: “Executive Members have considered the best way to implement the changes required under Simpler Recycling very carefully. However, the cost of implementing kerbside glass collection, without the appropriate Materials Recycling Facility available to process it, would place a huge financial burden on the Council with no tangible environmental benefit. We are confident that the collection system we have agreed is the best course of action for Fareham, and Defra understands that the Council’s pathway to compliance is entirely dependent on the delivery of Hampshire County Council’s new Materials Recycling Facility.

“I would like to assure all residents that Fareham Borough Council is committed to implementing Simpler Recycling to increase recycling rates and reduce the Borough’s impact on the environment as cost effectively as possible.”

More information on the Council’s Waste and Recycling services can be found at: www.fareham.gov.uk/foodwaste.

ENDS