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Welsh residents asked to sort rubbish into TWELVE bins are called 'lazy' for complaining as Denbighshire trial sparks fury

From the Newshound archive · first published 28 October 2026.

Wheelie bins. Denbighshire County Council is trialling a 12th container for soft plastics, with 4,500 households already managing 11 bins — and a 20-page guide to sort between them.
Wheelie bins. Denbighshire County Council is trialling a 12th container for soft plastics, with 4,500 households already managing 11 bins — and a 20-page guide to sort between them.

Denbighshire County Council in Wales is trialling a 12th bin for soft plastics — including crisp packets, chocolate wrappers and ready meal tops — with 4,500 households already handling an 11-container system that cost £22 million to overhaul in 2024. Resident John Jacob said "all you see is bins," while Linda Muraca warned that rubbish is left "all over the place" after collections. A 20-page guide is required reading for residents trying to determine which item belongs in which container.

Welsh ministers plan to roll out kerbside soft plastic collection next year despite warnings the UK lacks capacity to recycle it all.

Critics accuse the council of treating residents as 'unpaid binmen' — while one resident says a surge in rodent activity has followed the scheme in Rhyl.

MoreLBC'Collecting rubbish has become a full-time job': Council sparks backlash after giving twelve bins to thousands of residents - LBCThe IndependentThe UK council where residents can have up to 11 separate bins - The IndependentThe IndependentResidents fume at council’s ‘ridiculous’ 11 bins for waste and recyclingThe SunFury as UK council 'makes households put out TWELVE separate bins' with rubbish strewn ‘all over the place' - The SunDaily Mail NewsA bin too far: The town where residents now have to sort recycling into 12 bins... and get called 'lazy' for complaining
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