Cornwall Council have confirmed that there will be a limit to how much rubbish residents can throw away under new bin collection rules.

It comes as the phased roll-out of a new refuse collection scheme comes into force, with recycling prioritised over ‘black bag’ general refuse.

In the new rules, general refuse will be collected fortnightly alongside recycling while food waste collections will become weekly.

Cornwall Council say that these measures will reduce the carbon impact of the current system by 18,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year, equivalent to a car driving around the world 2,547 times.

However, the council have said that there will be a limit to how much general refuse can be thrown away when the new rules come into force in each area, with the new bins and seagull proof sacks set to be provided being the only ones the council will accept.

In a message to residents, the council said: “As we gear up for the new food waste, rubbish and recycling collections in mid-Cornwall, we want to let you know about the changes concerning your old bins.

“Once the services change from mid-January, we'll only be collecting rubbish placed in the new bin or protective sack that we've provided for you.

“For your recycling you can carry on using your coloured bags and box and don’t forget to start food recycling using your new caddies.

“For the rubbish bin you’re currently using, you might want to keep it and repurpose it - as garden storage perhaps, or a water butt – or donate it to a community group.

If not, we can collect your old bin once your new service has started and recycle it for you.”

It has also been confirmed that residents will be limited to 180 litres of rubbish per fortnight, with the new bins and sacks being supplied forming part of the Council’s monitoring of the adherence to this.

In response to a resident who asked why they could not continue to use their existing bin, a spokesperson for the Cornwall Council ‘Cornwall Recycles’ campaign said: “To help tackle climate change, we are introducing a fortnightly waste collection limit of 180 litres.

“Having standardised bins will help our crews to see that households are sticking to their fortnightly rubbish limit and ensures that the wheelie bins are compatible with the lifting mechanism on our collection vehicles. Certain eligible households can apply for an additional bin”