Some Middlesbrough residents have been wrongly told to put out their new recycling bins for collection. Middlesbrough Council confirmed on social media that an “error” on bin calendars means that residents “in some areas” were advised to put out their red-lidded wheelie bins for collection this week.
Red-lidded bins – exclusively for paper and cardboard – have been delivered to the majority of households around the town as the council belatedly starts collecting recycling across a greater number of streams, in line with new government rules that came into effect at the beginning of April.
As part of the change, food waste will be collected weekly and separately from other rubbish from Tuesday, June 30. Some residents will see red-lidded collections formally get underway on the same day, whilst others will have to wait until the following week.
An example of the mistake would be Valley Road, in TS4, where the collection day is Tuesday, and on the bin calendar for this specific street, residents are told that Tuesday, June 23 is indeed red-lid bin collection day. The council has confirmed that where the mistake has occurred on calendars, its crews will empty the new wheelie bins.
The council’s statement on social media added: “The separation of recycling so that paper and cardboard is collected on different weeks to blue-lid bins starts next week. From that point onwards the items will be collected and recycled separately.”
The message thanked those who had started separating recycling in preparation for new collections from next week, and confirmed that information on bin calendars is correct from Tuesday, June 30 onwards.
Meanwhile, the council website bin calendar page said: “Bin calendars are now showing the new collections. Unfortunately, collections for this week (23 to 26 June) are incorrect. Please ignore what is on your calendar and reminder this week, put out the bin you’d normally put out. If you usually print out your calendar, please wait and print out a new one after 26 June.”
The council conducts refuse and recycling collections on a four day week cycle from Tuesday to Friday, hence why the new collections don’t start on Monday, June 29.

Friends of Bylines Network
There has never been a greater need for grassroots journalism that investigates the stories that really matter, holds power to account and champions the voices of everyday citizens. We are proudly powered by volunteers but what we do isn’t free.
STAND WITH US for independent, citizen-led journalism that makes democracy stronger, and you will even get some exclusive benefits.






