Changes to waste collections from June 2026

Why can't the service stay as it is because it works well already?

The law has recently changed. The Environment Act and Simpler Recycling now requires the collection of recycling materials from households, and not from bring banks, so all councils must start collecting a wider range of recyclable material from the kerbside and provide a weekly food recycling collection from all households. This is not specific to Braintree District Council. The Council also wants to divert as much waste as possible from landfill, or incineration, and capture more of this for recycling to support our climate aspirations. The Council wants to meet the targets set nationally and, as part of the new Waste Strategy for Essex, to recycle at least 65% of household waste by 2035.  It also aims to reduce the cost of waste collection and disposal as part of these changes.

Who made this decision and when?

A decision was made by Cabinet on 27th May 2025. Details of the meeting can be found here which include all details about the changes, the public consultation, the options considered, costings and the new Household Waste and Recycling Collections Policy which will affect all BDC residents.

Has the public been asked for their opinion?

An 8-week public consultation ran from 6th Jan to 2nd March 2025:

• 7,847 responses to the consultation were received.
• 19 face-to-face events throughout
• Staff directly engaged with 830 members of the public. 
• 991 leaflets and cards handed out.
• Targeted paid social media was used to reach demographically under-represented groups.
• A waste vehicle, with screens, was used around to district to promote engagement.
• A range of external display banners, town centre notice boards and posters displayed at satellite locations
• An external analysis company was engaged to analyse the consultation feedback independently.
• The responses are representative of the district by ward.

More details can be found here and within the Cabinet papers available here.

While we take our residents’ concerns very seriously, we believe the comprehensive non-statutory public consultation we conducted reflects the Council’s commitment to fairness throughout the process. The Council ran an 8-week consultation from 6 January to 2 March 2025.

All residents and stakeholders were engaged at the formative stage of the proposals. The consultation provided sufficient information to support a full and wide-ranging exercise. The Council carefully considered the format of the consultation, making materials available both online and in hard copy. Additional methods were also used, including district-wide face-to-face events and a digital media campaign.

The Council recognises the diversity of views across the community. All feedback and specific responses received from residents and stakeholders during the consultation were taken into account before the Council made its decision.

We will continue to communicate with residents over the coming months, providing more detail about the new service and how consultation feedback has shaped the final policy. In the meantime, the Cabinet report contains a detailed analysis of the consultation responses.

A detailed report, as undertaken by an external company, on the public consultation can be found as part of the Cabinet papers from 27th May 2025 here (page. 38-117). A list of the questions presented to the public can also be found within the report.

Our new Household Waste and Recycling Collections Policy set out our standard waste collection, which will be the collection method for the majority of households in the district.

Properties that are assessed to be not suitable for the standard waste collection will receive a non-standard waste collection. This is further defined under the frequently asked question: What is the criteria for a property to be considered for a non-standard waste collection?

These households will receive alternative waste receptacles that offer the same capacity as the wheeled bins provided to other residents.

All residents will be contacted later in 2025 to confirm the outcome of their property assessment, including whether they will receive a standard or non-standard waste collection service.

A recent study by Essex County Council found that, on average, 30% of the waste in grey bins from Braintree District Council households was food waste. The study also identified a significant amount of material that could have been recycled through other methods was being placed into the grey bins.

The changes coming in June 2026 aim to improve recycling by increasing the capacity for recyclable materials. The Council will also be collecting more items from households, including glass and plastic film.

As a result of these changes, the volume of waste in grey bins is expected to decrease, meaning these bins will not need to be collected as frequently and so the frequency has been decreased to reflect this.

Food waste will continue to be collected weekly, helping residents to make better use of their food waste collections and avoid placing food waste in grey bins.

If the grey bin waste is only collected every 3 weeks, will it start to smell or attract vermin?

Residents may choose to neutralise odours using bicarbonate of soda, other deodorisers, or essential oils if needed. With more receptacles being provided, waste will be better contained, further helping to minimise the risk of vermin.

What happens if a resident has excess waste? Can they still request a larger wheeled bin?

Yes, residents can apply for more bin space if they regularly have too much waste. There’s currently an application process for this available on our website.

Starting in June 2026, when the new waste scheme is introduced, residents will be able to request extra capacity if they meet the eligibility criteria. This could mean getting a larger bin or an extra bin, depending on what’s needed.

If a household feels their bin or recycling box capacity is too big, they’ll also be able to apply for a smaller bin or less boxes.

The Council will not collect any waste left beside the bin nor if bin lids can’t close due to excess waste.

Nappies and other similar products need to be collected more frequently than every 3 weeks. How will this happen?

The Council understands that some households need extra help to get rid of disposable nappies and incontinence products. Eligible residents can request a special collection service for Absorbent Hygiene Products (AHPs), such as nappies. These collections would happen no more than 2-weeks apart. This service also gives extra waste capacity to households that qualify. 

You can put waste from domestic pets, like cat litter, animal bedding (hay or straw), and faeces, into your grey bin or refuse sacks. Please make sure this waste is bagged and not loose in the bin.

If you have vegetarian pet waste, such as from rabbits or guinea pigs, you can compost it at home. We also allow vegetarian pet waste to be placed in garden bins as well as bedding. The bedding must be natural and we cannot accept bedding such as newspaper or shavings with glue or chemicals.

Items like puppy pads should also go in your grey bin. These are not included in the Absorbent Hygiene Products (AHP) collection service, which will not cover animal-related sanitary products. The full criteria for the AHP service will be shared soon.

Please note: no extra or larger bins will be provided for pet waste.

The bring banks won’t be removed straight away. Although only 12% of people who took part in the consultation said they would keep using them, the Council will review how they’re used. This review will look at whether the space could be better used to collect other items, like textiles or small electricals.

Could these changes lead to an increase in fly-tipping?

The changes mean more types of waste will be collected directly from your home and residents won’t need to use bring banks as often. There’s no evidence that fly-tipping will increase because of these changes. However, the Council will monitor for any impact and take enforcement action if needed.