NORTH Somerset Council is hosting its first informative event about the proposed changes to black bin collections in Weston today (Wednesday, April 3).

The event will take place at The Campus from 11am to 2pm.

Residents are encouraged to pop along and speak to councillors and officers about the proposals to cut down to three-weekly black bin collections.

The council's website reads: "This year we will need to spend about £5million disposing of black bin rubbish.

"Black bin waste costs £130 per tonne, while our separated kerbside recycling collections result in a high quality of recycling material which we can sell and generate an income of around £30 per tonne.  

"Analysis of what’s in North Somerset’s general waste bins shows that, on average, 45% of the contents could be recycled. 

"By reducing the frequency of waste collections we’ll be able to reduce the amount of non-recyclable waste.

"This will cut emissions from our collection vehicles and reduce the carbon impact of the service, helping to protect the environment.

"It will ensure we meet government requirements to recycle 65% of household waste by 2035."