Wokingham borough council is delaying a final decision on implementing kerbside glass collections until further details of the government’s three-year funding settlement is confirmed.
Under the government’s Simpler Recycling initiative, councils across England are expected to introduce kerbside glass collections by April 2026 – alongside the many other waste streams that are already collected in Wokingham borough.
The government is consulting on a new way of allocating money to local councils that would, if carried out, see Wokingham Borough facing millions of pounds of significant cuts over the next three years, while effectively subsidising increased funding elsewhere.
Cllr Stephen Conway, leader of the council and executive councillor for housing, partnerships and the local plan, said: “We’ve been clear in our calls for fairer funding that reflects the true cost of meeting our community’s needs.
“As it stands, almost £50 million of Wokingham borough’s council tax could effectively be distributed elsewhere over the next three years under proposals being considered by the government.
“This potential significant loss of funding is the backdrop to our decision to pause.
“Launching additional kerbside glass collections requires around £1.5 million for vehicles, containers and delivery, plus annual running costs of about £710,000.”
Cllr Katrin Harding, executive member for environment and climate emergency, added: “While we’d prefer not to delay the introduction of kerbside glass collection, our future financial position remains uncertain until the government settlement is confirmed.
“We currently propose starting monthly kerbside glass collections in February 2027, which is beyond the legislation’s April 2026 requirement.”
