BLACK bins in South Gloucestershire will be collected once every three weeks from 2026 to save just over £1 million a year.

Despite concerns about bins overflowing, the new regime is expected to be formally signed off next week.

Residents in the district currently get their black bins, used for rubbish that can’t be recycled, collected every two weeks.

But in a drive to cut costs and encourage people to recycle more, this will be reduced down to three-weekly.

Fees to have garden waste collected have also doubled from £30 to £60.

South Gloucestershire Council bosses are expected to approve the changes during a cabinet meeting on Monday, November 11.

The changes form part of a wider new contract with Suez, for collecting bins over the next eight years.

A cabinet report said: “There have been numerous consultation and engagement events and exercises to ensure residents and stakeholders are fully briefed, informed and involved where possible in the decision-making process.

"These proposed service changes will provide savings to ensure the council continues to provide a viable ongoing waste service offer to residents.

“They also seek to improve recycling rates, reduce carbon and improve the quality of the service provided.

"We are now formalising the arrangements for contract award and there are no alternative options available at this stage.”

Opposition councillors previously warned that their switch to three-weekly collections could leave some residents short of space in their bins.

But council bosses believe a large chunk of what goes into the average black bin could actually be recycled or placed in food waste bins.

Changes also include allowing residents to recycle more types of plastic, such as soft wrappers, to reduce the amount of rubbish that needs to go into black bins.

Household waste recycling centres, also known as Sort It Centres, will become in-house and run by the council, too.