Overview
- Stockton Council apologized after nearly 6,000 homes missed recycling collections on the first day of the new system, which officials said was disrupted by unloading problems and drivers reaching their legal hours.
- The council says regular rounds continue this week and crews will return for a catch-up on Saturday, with some routes still using older vehicles until the full order of new wagons arrives.
- The scheme changes what residents put where, with food in caddies, plastics and tins in blue bags, paper and card in white bags, and glass and batteries in a blue box, with recycling now weekly and general waste every two weeks.
- Fresh complaints on Thursday included CCTV of paper and plastics being combined in a single bag; the council said older wagons require mixing on the street and that sorting happens back at the depot, advising residents to redact personal details on paperwork.
- Political pressure has grown as local MP Matt Vickers called the rollout “utter chaos,” wrote to the council chief executive, and launched a survey, while the council framed the issues as teething problems tied to a major change and noted strong public demand for new bags and boxes at libraries.