Residents across North Hertfordshire are recycling more and throwing away far less rubbish one year after major changes to bin collections were introduced.

New figures released by North Herts Council, East Herts Council and waste contractor Veolia show the revamped waste and recycling service has led to a 36% reduction in non-recyclable household waste across the two districts since the changes came into force on 4 August 2025.

The councils say around 14,370 tonnes less non-recyclable waste has been collected over the past year – equivalent in weight to around 150 blue whales.

The service overhaul introduced more opportunities for residents to recycle, including separate food waste collections, larger paper and cardboard bins, and kerbside collections for plastic bags and wrapping.

For North Herts, food waste recycling has continued to grow, with residents collecting an additional 570 tonnes compared with the previous year. In total, around 5,000 tonnes of food waste were collected over the past 12 months.

Paper and cardboard recycling has also increased significantly, with the larger bins helping drive a 19% rise across the two districts, resulting in almost 2,000 extra tonnes being recycled.

Meanwhile, the introduction of plastic bag and wrapping collections has seen 325 tonnes collected during the first year.

The councils also highlighted the popularity of their waste and recycling apps, launched last November, which now have around 31,000 subscribers across North and East Herts. The apps provide collection reminders and updates, including changes during bank holidays.

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Councillor Amy Allen, North Herts Council's Executive Member for Environment, thanked residents for adapting to the new arrangements.

She said: "We know the new service represented a significant change for residents, and change is not always easy. That's why it's so encouraging to look back after a year and see the amazing results that have been achieved.

"The figures clearly show how well our residents have embraced the additional recycling opportunities available to them, playing a key part in ensuring that more material enters the circular economy rather than going to waste. We are so grateful for your efforts in helping to make a real difference for the environment."

East Herts Council's Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability, Councillor Tim Hoskin, also praised residents for embracing the changes, particularly the separate food waste collections.

Ilana Shaw, Divisional Head of Municipal Operations at Veolia, said the first year of the partnership had delivered "real positive changes", adding that residents had helped crews collect significantly more recycling than before.

The councils say they hope the strong first-year results will encourage residents to continue increasing recycling rates and reducing the amount of waste sent for disposal.