Recycling initiative launched by West Suffolk Council with new bins installed in high-traffic areas in Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill, Mildenhall and Brandon

A council has launched a recycling initiative with new bins installed in high-traffic areas in several Suffolk towns.

West Suffolk Council started the scheme to encourage residents to recycle plastic bottles and cans while out and about, with 24 ‘Recycling on-the-Go’ bins now ready to use after being installed in Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill, Mildenhall and Brandon.

The initiative is funded by McDonald’s and is supported by Hubbub after the district council was awarded a £10,000 grant, with the authority putting forward an additional £5,000 for the project.

The initiative follows the success of previous pilot campaigns ‘In The Loop’, where more than 500 bins have been rolled out across Ireland and the UK, with over 2.5 million plastic and cans collected and recycled.

Cllr David Taylor, cabinet member for operations at West Suffolk Council, said: “By placing these bins in key locations, we hope to reduce waste going to incineration, and boost recycling rates of plastic bottles and cans.

“This exciting initiative aligns with the council’s ongoing commitment to environmental resilience and sustainable growth.

“The ‘Recycling on-the-Go’ bins will be clearly marked to help visitors and residents properly sort their waste. We hope that our community will take advantage of this initiative and do their part in keeping West Suffolk clean.”

The district council will be measuring the impact and effectiveness of the new bins, with the hope to secure additional funding to encourage a further roll out across the district.

To keep contamination to a minimum, people are being urged to put items like coffee cups, food packaging and plastic film in the general waste section of the bin and to think ‘if in doubt, leave it out’.

Galvin Ellis, director and co-founder of Hubbub, said the new campaign will allow ‘In The Loop’ to build upon its legacy of introducing effective recycling on-the-go in parks, towns and cities across the UK and Ireland.

He said: “With the Deposit Return Scheme for plastic bottles and cans planned for 2027 across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, this initiative will get people into the habit of recycling these items and provide the on-street infrastructure required to collect more of these valuable materials.”

Carol Rogerson, McDonald’s franchisee who owns and operates 21 restaurants in the area, added: “I could not be prouder of my team being part of this initiative.

“As a business, we are committed to tackling the issue of litter and helping our customers to recycle their packaging.

“From restaurant teams conducting daily litter patrols around our restaurants and organising larger-scale litter pick events, to the recycling units available in our restaurants, we want to play our part in keeping communities clean and supporting recycling.”