Bins and recycling

Quatro recycling and waste trial

You will not see any changes to your current recycling and waste collection if you’re not taking part in the trial.

We’re trialling a new recycling and waste system in North Somerset called Quatro.

This is the first time Quatro will be used in the UK, but it has been part of waste management in Scandinavia for 20 years.

The trial

A black wheelie bin divided into four compartments. It also has a fifth compartment which is hooked on the front with a red lid.

We have recruited a sample of households to take part in the trial between Monday 15 May and Friday 15 June.

We're looking at the advantages and disadvantages of using a specially designed wheelie bin. This new bin is for both recycling and waste, and has four compartments, three wheels and a lid. Residents taking part in the trial will use the trial bin instead of their current recycling and waste containers.

The trial bins will be collected by a specialist collection lorry. It features a unique lift mechanism that matches the bin’s four compartments to the lorry’s four collection chambers.

The new vehicle is shorter than our current standard waste lorries. The trial will look at whether the shorter lorry can access properties across North Somerset.

Potential benefits of Quatro

A big white vehicle with a specialist bin lift mechanism at the back

The new system could provide many benefits to households including:

making recycling easier to sort
increasing recycling capacity
having a bin which is easier to move
reducing the amount of litter

Our vision is to be a leading authority in reducing waste and tackling the climate emergency. If the trial is successful, we could reduce the number of journeys to collect household recycling and waste. This will then reduce pollution, emissions, congestion on the roads and save the council money.