Paper recycling levels continue to plummet as big bin change comes to Sunderland, South Tyneside and Gateshead
The weight of paper being collected in blue bins across three Tyne and Wear councils continues to plummet, with one local authority seeing an over 60% fall.
The amount of paper offered up for recycling in Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland blue bins continues to drop. The trend has been observed since 2014 and has been linked in previous reports to a decline in printed media including newspapers, telephone directories, and junk mail.
In addition, the historically low rates of waste paper has led the three local authorities, which are part of the same waste management partnership, to phase out their inner bin caddies.
The current number of tonnes of paper recycling per local authority is as follows:
- Gateshead: 197 tonnes/62.8% decrease from April 2025-January 2026
- South Tyneside: 118 tonnes/43.27% decrease from April 2025-January 2026
- Sunderland 203 tonnes/45.1% decrease from April 2025-January 2026
This is in comparison to the total blue bin waste across the authorities in the same period:
- Gateshead: 12,165 tonnes
- South Tyneside: 8,733 tonnes
- Sunderland: 17,824 tonnes
South Tyneside is now collecting from all properties through a fully commingled service following the delivery of new modern bin wagons. Sunderland and Gateshead will do the same in the coming months when their new vehicles are delivered.
The joint council report states: “Once all three authorities are operating single-body vehicles, there will be no separately collected paper, as all dry mixed recycling will be fully comingled.”
The South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership Joint Executive Committee received the report this afternoon and noted the results.