Cornwall Council's new rubbish and recycling collection service has been delayed again and will now not start until 2023.

The council has agreed to a new contract with Biffa for the kerbside collection of rubbish and recycling which was due to start in June this year.

However, the council has now confirmed that the new service has been delayed even further and will not start to be rolled out in Cornwall until 2023.

Under the new service both black bag waste and recycling will be collected fortnightly while a new food waste collection service would run weekly.

The new contract would also see every household provided with a 180-litre wheelie bin to use for their black bag waste. Households which do not have space for a wheelie bin will be provided with a protective, seagull-proof sack to put their rubbish out in.

Under the proposals households would only be allowed to put out waste to fill that wheelie bin and would not be allowed to put out any additional waste for collection.

The council had originally planned to have weekly recycling collections and fortnightly black bag collections but had to scrap that plan after it proved to be too costly.

In a statement Cornwall Council said:

"There is the potential that the Government will provide new burdens funding for local authorities to deliver food waste collection under the provisions in the Environment Bill. The council is currently considering the implications of this.

"Prior to any changes to collection services, construction works are required at waste disposal facilities and we are seeking planning consents across a range of sites.

"We are making plans this year to deliver wheelie bins or protective sacks to 270,000 households across the Duchy. Residents will receive information about the change in service in due course and do not need to take any action. The provision of bins will contain rubbish and stop animal attacks leaving litter in the street.

"The new fleet of more efficient collection vehicles also provide bin lifts which will reduce the need for manual handling and improve health, safety and wellbeing for the staff.

"In the meantime we can all recycle more – there is no need to wait. Currently around one third of the contents of the average black bin bag in Cornwall is made up of food waste. If we all shopped smarter and used up leftovers, that could make a big difference."

Cornwall Council's new Conservative administration has also pledged to reintroduce recycling banks in car parks where communities want them.

The banks were previously removed by the council after they were found to be being damaged and abused.

However, the leading councillors revealed this week that while they wanted to reinstate the recycling banks there was no budget available to pay for them.

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