Many people are confused by the information – or lack of it – surrounding the new rules regarding glass collections around the county. The Gazette asked Durham County Council for more information and was directed to a page that gives the following news:
Across Spring and Summer 2026, every house in the county will receive a weekly food waste collection alongside the existing refuse and recycling service.
Food waste
Following changes to national legislation, we are introducing food waste collections across County Durham. We are still carrying out the relevant planning for the new service. Delivery of the caddies will take place across Spring and Summer 2026 and there will be a leaflet inside your caddy, upon delivery, with further details about your collection date.
Your food waste collection service day will be the same day as your rubbish and recycling but at a different time as a different vehicle will be used.
Do not worry, this does not mean an extra bin! To reduce the amount of bins at properties we are introducing a change to the way we collect your recycling.
Find out more about our Food waste recycling plans.
Glass recycling
You can now put your glass recycling in your blue lidded recycling bin along with your other recycling.
You can keep your green recycling box and use it for something else but please be aware if your box is presented with glass in it, we will presume you don’t want it and take it away to be recycled. You can use it in the garden to plant potatoes or in the garage to store tools. Some local community organisations or allotments may accept your box if you do not want to keep it. You do not need to return it to us, but if you put your green recycling box out with your recycling, it will be taken away.
You can place extra recyclable packaging such as cardboard boxes and plastics and cans and paper in clear plastic bags alongside your blue lidded bin. All glass should go inside your bin.
Batteries and vapes
When we introduce food waste collections we are trialling the collection of household batteries and vapes for recycling. These will need to be bagged separately and placed out alongside your food waste caddy. Please do not bag batteries and vapes together, place them in different clear bags. We will have separate boxes on the collection vehicle where these will be placed. Please never place batteries or vapes in any of your other bins as they cause fires in our collection vehicles.
