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Date: 12 October 2026
Belfast City Council is introducing a series of targeted programmes across the city to enhance its waste collection, recycling and street cleansing services.
To improve reliability on narrow or congested streets, the council is expanding and reorganising its restricted-access bin collection routes. As part of this overhaul, more small, specialised bin lorries are being introduced to the fleet. This includes the deployment of two new 18-tonne refuse collection vehicles specifically designed to navigate tight urban spaces safely and reduce missed collections where standard 26-tonne vehicles routinely face obstruction.
Because these narrow-access vehicles are being rerouted across services, some households will experience changes to their scheduled collection days. While the affected services will continue to operate on a fortnightly cycle, residents are advised that there could be a slightly shorter or longer gap than usual between their final old collection and their first new collection during this transition. Affected residents will receive a letter with details in full.
Smaller collection vehicles operate under tighter weight and space limits, so residents on affected routes are being reminded to adhere strictly to updated presentation guidelines:
- Bins must be placed out by 7am on the morning of collection
- Bin lids must close completely flat; overfilled bins may be tagged and left uncollected
- No additional bags should be left beside bins, and full-size plastic liners should not be used inside recycling containers
- Residents are strongly urged to park as close to the kerb as possible to ensure the smaller vehicles can pass through safely.
Among the key projects currently being delivered is a major expansion of the kerbside glass recycling scheme. Part-funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the final phase will extend the service to remaining households without a kerbside glass collection, primarily in north and south Belfast.
This expansion allows more residents to recycle glass directly from home using a 44-litre purple recycling box and is expected to divert an extra 650 tonnes of glass back into the local circular economy each year. The final phase of this roll-out is due to commence in early 2027.
Street cleansing teams are also intensifying operations with an extended power-washing programme within the city centre. A specialist 'Gladiator' chewing gum removal machine, funded by the UK-wide Chewing Gum Task Force, has also been deployed.
Chair of Belfast City Council’s People and Communities Committee, Councillor Jenna Maghie, welcomed the ongoing service improvements.
Councillor Maghie said: "Keeping Belfast clean and supporting our residents to recycle effectively remains a top priority for the council. We are actively investing in practical solutions across our city, from extending kerbside glass boxes to more front doors, to upgrading our fleet with smaller vehicles and deploying specialist equipment to tackle chewing gum litter.
"Alongside these immediate service boosts, we are actively working to tackle the obstruction and eyesore of abandoned and permanently presented bins on our pavements and entryways. By refining our processes, introducing smarter routing for narrow streets, and targeting resources at known hotspots, we want to make our shared spaces safer and more accessible.
"I would encourage all residents to support our frontline crews by recycling everything they can, using their designated containers, and presenting their bins responsibly."
For more information on waste services, recycling facilities, bulky waste collections, or to report an issue with a bin, visit the Bins and Recycling pages.