New ‘Recycling on-the-Go’ bins make sustainability more convenient than ever

06 May 2025

To make recycling easier and more accessible, West Suffolk Council has launched a new recycling initiative to encourage residents and visitors to recycle plastic bottles and cans while out and about, with the support from McDonald’s and environmental charity Hubbub.

From the beginning of May, 24 new ‘Recycling on-the-Go’ bins will be available to use by the public across Brandon, Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill and Mildenhall, after consultations with the town councils and BIDs were successful.

The initiative follows the success of previous pilot campaigns ‘In The Loop’, where over 500 bins have been rolled out across Ireland and the UK, with over 2.5 million plastic and cans collected and recycled.

The newly installed bins will be available in high-traffic areas such as town high streets, making it easier than ever for individuals to make eco-friendly choices wherever they go.

To keep contamination to a minimum, people are being urged to put items like coffee cups, food packaging and plastic film in the general waste section of the bin and to think 'if in doubt, leave it out'.

The on-street recycling initiative is funded by McDonald’s and is supported by Hubbub. West Suffolk Council were awarded a £10,000 grant, with the council putting forward an additional £5,000 for the project.

Cllr David Taylor, Cabinet Member for Operations at West Suffolk Council, said: “By placing these bins in key locations, we hope to reduce waste going to incineration, and boost recycling rates of plastic bottles and cans. This exciting initiative aligns with West Suffolk Council’s ongoing commitment to environmental resilience and sustainable growth.

"The ‘Recycling on-the-Go’ bins will be clearly marked to help visitors and residents properly sort their waste. We hope that our community will take advantage of this initiative and do their part in keeping West Suffolk clean.”

Galvin Ellis, Director and Co-Founder of Hubbub, said: “This new campaign will allow ‘In The Loop’ to build upon its legacy of introducing effective recycling on-the-go in parks, towns and cities across the UK and Ireland. With the Deposit Return Scheme for plastic bottles and cans planned for 2027 across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, this initiative will get people into the habit of recycling these items and provide the on-street infrastructure required to collect more of these valuable materials.”

Carol Rogerson, McDonald’s Franchisee who owns and operates 21 restaurants in the area, said: “I could not be prouder of my team being part of this initiative. As a business, we are committed to tackling the issue of litter and helping our customers to recycle their packaging. From restaurant teams conducting daily litter patrols around our restaurants and organising larger-scale litter pick events, to the recycling units available in our restaurants, we want to play our part in keeping communities clean and supporting recycling. 

“This partnership with Hubbub underlines our commitment to recycling and keeping litter off the streets in West Suffolk and is just one example of our dedication to being a good neighbour in the areas in which we operate. I am excited to see how this initiative develops and how it rolls out in other areas throughout the UK.”

West Suffolk Council will be measuring the impact and effectiveness of the new bins, and with the hope to secure additional funding to encourage a further roll out across the district.

For more information on reducing litter and recycling in West Suffolk, visit: Litter 

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