About the AHP collection service
This page explains what Absorbent Hygiene Products (AHP) are and why Braintree District Council offers a separate collection service for this type of waste. It provides an overview of how the service works, who it is designed to help and what happens to AHP waste after it is collected. Reading this page will help you understand whether the service is right for your household.
On this page you can:
- Request for additional household waste capacity
- AHP (nappy) waste collection for children under the age of 4 years
- AHP (continence care) waste collection
What are Absorbent Hygiene Products (AHP)
Absorbent Hygiene Products (AHP) are single‑use items designed to absorb bodily fluids and support personal hygiene.
They include products such as:
- Disposable nappies for babies
- Incontinence pads, pants, or bed/chair pads
- Continence management items used for bladder or bowel conditions
Because these items are designed to be used once and disposed of, households that use these products may generate more waste than others.
AHP waste is collected separately to help households manage this type of waste more easily and to reduce pressure on general (non-recyclable) waste bins.
Why is Braintree District Council providing an AHP collection service?
Where higher amounts of general non-recyclable waste is generated as a result of disposable nappies or continence care products, this can place a strain on the standard capacity provided within grey bins.
The AHP collection service provides additional capacity through provision of AHP sacks and an additional collection outside of the usual grey bin schedule.
This service forms part of the Council’s wider Additional Capacity services and offers a clean, convenient and discreet way to manage AHP waste.
It also helps reduce odours by providing more frequent collections.
I live in a communal property can I apply for AHP waste collection?
At this time, the AHP collection service is not available to communal properties.
This is because the general waste collection frequency and capacity for communal waste services is not changing, so an additional AHP collection is not required for these property types.
What happens to the AHP waste after collection?
After collection, AHP waste is managed alongside other non-recyclable household waste.
In most cases, this type of material is sent to energy from waste treatment, where it is safely processed at a facility that recovers energy through controlled incineration.
This approach keeps the waste out of landfill and follows the same treatment route used for general non-recyclable waste in the district.
If national or local disposal arrangements change in the future, the council will adjust its processes accordingly to ensure waste continues to be managed safely and in line with environmental regulations.