Alternate Weekly Waste Collections Coming February 2026
Lewes District Council is set to implement Alternate Weekly Collections (AWC) in February 2026 to increase the district’s recycling rate.
Collection days will change for most residents and new collection calendars will be issued in January 2026 ahead of the changes.
The new system will see residual refuse (black sack waste) collected fortnightly, while recycling collections will also remain fortnightly, alternating with the refuse collection day.
Food waste collections will continue, along with weekly collections for non-infectious medical waste for those who register.
For concerns about pests, residents are reminded to put the food waste caddy handle all the way forward to ‘lock’ the lid shut.
To help get ready for the change, the following options are available:
- Free weekly food waste collections
- A larger recycling bin
- An additional recycling bin
- A larger refuse bin
- An assisted collection
- Weekly clinical waste collection e.g. for adult incontinence pants
- A voucher for reusable nappies, wipes, and sanitary products to help reduce refuse waste
The move to alternate weekly collections follows an engagement exercise which
indicated that many residents were happy to embrace a two-weekly refuse collection, provided the food waste service stayed weekly. Some 97% of the 2,150 respondents thought it was important or very important to recycle from home. Furthermore, 71% of respondents currently put out a refuse bin each week that is not full.
Read the FAQs and download the engagement report at www.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/AWC
