Cutting blue and black bin rounds to once every fortnight will help to raise the borough’s recycling rate to 50 per cent, the council says.

Changes to the waste collection service form part of a reduction and recycling plan that aims to ensure Enfield meets city-wide targets set by the Mayor of London.

Approved by cabinet members on Wednesday (July 17), it also includes proposals to upgrade the council’s fleet to electric vehicles.

The mayor’s London Environment Strategy, published last year, states that boroughs must recycle half of the waste they collect by 2025 – meaning Enfield needs to achieve a significant rise on the 37 per cent recycling rate it achieved in 2018.

But the shake-up of the borough’s waste rounds, which is set to take place next spring, has met with opposition from Conservative councillors and many residents.

The move will also see the introduction of separate, weekly food waste collections and a £65-a-year charge for garden waste.

It was the least popular option set out in a consultation that drew more than 5,500 responses – more than any other Enfield Council consultation.

A new petition has been set up to urge the council to drop the plans after a previous petition failed because many people did not give their full address.

The reduction and recycling plan includes some details on how the council will help residents to recycle more.

It states that all kerbside properties will be offered a larger, 240-litre recycling bin, along with council-issued plastic recycling sacks.

The council will also draw up a strategy aimed at increasing recycling in flats, which are not included in recycling collections.

Guidelines have been updated to ensure new developments meet minimum standards for waste and recycling provision.