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From Monday, October 30, council is introducing ‘Route Optimisation’ as the fastest and most cost-effective way for waste and recycling collection crews to get from one address to another. It also means fewer miles travelled and fewer carbon emissions - reducing the local authority’s carbon footprint and impact on climate.

New calendars and letters advising affected residents of their revised collection dates will be dropping through letterboxes in the coming weeks.

The Mayor, Alderman Gerardine Mulvenna, said: “We have carefully considered how our routes operate and have developed an extensive plan of action to ensure bins are collected in the most sustainable way. It’s important to remember that once the new schedule is up and running, there will be no changes to how often bins are emptied - please keep an eye out for your letter and calendar which provides you with all the information you need.”

Councillor Bobby Hadden; Catherine Hunter, environmental education officer; the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Gerardine Mulvenna; Philip Thompson, director of operations; Councillor William McCaughey; Gary Murtagh, waste supervisor (Larne) and Trevor McIlhagga, waste supervisor (Ballymena). Submitted by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council

Councillor Bobby Hadden, deputy chair of the Environment and Economy Committee, commented: “We have carefully considered how our bin routes operate and have made changes to our bin rounds to make them as efficient as possible, whilst minimising disruption for residents wherever we can. By making these changes we are able to continue to deliver our waste collection service to the highest standard but in a more cost-effective way.

“We aim to make the transition to the new collection days as smooth as possible but if residents have any issues, please contact the Waste Helpdesk Team by emailing [email protected] or call us on T: 0300 124 5000 (option 0).”

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To ensure residents do not miss a scheduled collection, a missed bin collection service will operate during the first fortnightly transitional period. The frequency of collections will remain fortnightly and, council added, bins should be put out by 7am on the day of collection.

Residents will be able to check their new bin collection day using the online bin collection calendar on council’s website, from October 30.

Major bin collection changes announcement by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council