Council confirms bin collections back on track following service improvements

Waste and recycling collection services in Thanet are now back on schedule, following the disruption in recent months.

This followed the rollout of the new Simpler Recycling scheme in April 2026, which saw a third of all Thanet households, around 27,000 properties, move to new collections. The issues were compounded by a driver shortage which affected many areas of the country. 

We thank residents for their patience and understanding while our teams worked hard to resolve these issues and stabilise service delivery.

Over the past two weeks, crews completed on average 99.2% of scheduled collections. This marks a significant improvement, almost back to pre-Simpler Recycling baseline levels of between 99.8% and 99.9%.  

Thanet’s overall recycling rate has now reached 39.7%, a 5% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Following a decade of stagnant recycling levels, this rise marks a major milestone and is a direct result of residents’ participation, along with the implementation of Simpler Recycling and active promotion of the food waste service. 

Food waste collections alone have surged by 67.3% compared to last year, the highest increase recorded anywhere in Kent (excluding any district that was not recycling food previously).

To break the cycle of collection backlogs and build a more resilient service, several long-term operational measures have been implemented. Additional collection rounds introduced during the disruption are in place until at least the end of the financial year. 

The council has increased agency staff support and is actively recruiting full-time driver positions to secure long-term workforce stability. An independent review of waste and recycling services is being undertaken, to inform further longer-term service improvements. 

Cllr Steve Albon, Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Coastal Services, said: “I’d like to thank local people for their support while we resolved the issues with collections. The statistics speak for themselves – we’re almost back to where we were, and recycling rates are definitely far better than we could have anticipated after such a long period without any significant change.  

“I encourage every household to help us keep up this fantastic momentum, make full use of their food waste caddies and other recycling options, to help us continue driving Thanet’s recycling figures upward.”

“I speak for the whole council when I say that we’re fully committed to keeping up this high standard of service. A huge thank you to our collection crews and residents for working together to achieve these record recycling results.”

Households who are eligible for clear bags for mixed recycling will receive a delivery in the coming weeks. 

Further information about the Simpler Recycling Scheme, along with frequently asked questions and an online collection day look up tool, is available on the website.