Domestic recycling and waste collection rounds in Oxford have remained the same for the last 10 years, but during this time the quantity and quality of materials collected have changed dramatically, the local authority said.

Changes in volumes of recycling, new housing additions and traffic patterns have resulted in one week with a large collection round and staff having to work extra hours, while the other week there is a light collection round which typically takes less time to complete.

The council’s waste management company, ODS, is planning to rebalance collection rounds to level out the split of waste across the two-week collection period. Some collection routes are being changed to improve the service and reduce the effect on the environment from vehicle emissions as well as to take account of the city’s growth.

While the changes will apply to all types of collections, the overall collection schedules will remain the same: food recycling will be collected weekly, rubbish and mixed recycling will be collected fortnightly, and garden waste will be collected fortnightly for those subscribed to this service.

This change will affect around 35,000 households – around a half of properties in the city.

‘We are constantly looking at ways to improve the service and given the changes in the amount and type of waste that we collect it makes sense that we now bring about this change,’ said Cllr Lubna Arshad, cabinet member for parks and waste reduction.

‘Residents in the affected areas can check on our website to find out if their collection day has changed. We want to make sure that this change is brought in with as little disruption as possible and that residents don’t miss having their bin emptied.’