THOUSANDS of residents are set to be affected when bin collection dates in a Hampshire borough change today.

From today, bin days in Eastleigh Borough will change to allow for fortnightly glass and battery recycling collections and more efficient collection routes.

The glass and battery collections, which were trailed last year, are being extended and rolled out to every house.

Black glass boxes will be collected on the same day as green recycling bins when the changes come in although may be collected in a separate vehicle, at a different time of day.

Food waste is collected every week on the same day as wheeled bin collections.

There will be no change to garden waste collection dates, but this is something the council says it will review.

The journeys made by bin lorries every morning will also shift to a more ‘zonal’ approach which is expected to make the service more “efficient and reliable”.

The council has been writing to residents who are going to be affected by the changes and issuing them with a printout of their bin calendar.

For some, there may be a short delay to glass and recycling collections and the council has asked for patience whilst the new service gets fully established.

Residents can also now get a printable calendar for their property on the council’s website.

Residents can keep track of bin collections by signing up to MyEastleigh online where they can choose to receive an email reminder to put their bin out.