Your new waste and recycling collections have started

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.

All residents should have received a second letter from the Council by the 26 May 2026 including information on the collection changes, along with a new waste and recycling collection calendar from June 2026.

You can download your new collection calendar and view your collection schedules on the My Account portal.

If you haven't received your letter, you can request a replacement copy. Replacements will be sent via email with a PDF calendar, unless stated that a letter is preferred, with a hard copy calendar.

Food recycling will continue to be collected weekly. Please let us know if you would like to order a food caddy.

Each bin is collected once every four weeks, but they are collected on alternate fortnights, meaning that you’ll still put out recycling every two weeks.

This means your collections might look like:

• Week 1 – Mixed Recycling Box or Blue-lidded bin.
• Week 3 – Paper and Card Box or Red-lidded bin

Non-recyclable waste (grey bin/sacks) will be collected every three weeks.

Garden waste will continue to be collected fortnightly.

View your collection calendar

Unauthorised side waste - extra bags or loose waste left at the side or on top of bins/boxes will not be collected.

Changes are commencing from 1 June 2026.

The changes to your households’ collections and the date of your first collection will be stated in your letter and is available on the waste portal.

View your collection calendar

Your letter will confirm your new collection day. You can download your collection calendar in PDF format

You can also check your collection day on the Council website using the My Account portal. This will show the most up to date information.

Bins/boxes should be put out for collection no earlier than the evening before collection and by 7am on your collection day.

At your usual collection point or your agreed assisted collection point.

Please return your bins/boxes to your property as soon as possible after collection and no later than the end of the collection day.

No.

Bins/boxes should not be stored on the pavement, road or any public highway, as this can cause an obstruction or nuisance to others.

Bins/boxes should be stored within your property or boundary when not presented for collection.

The council website has the full up to date list of what is accepted in each container.

View what goes in each bin

Bins and boxes may not be collected for the following reasons:

• The wrong items are found inside (contamination)
• The bin was too full or the lid would not close
• Extra waste was left beside the bin/box (unauthorised side waste)
• The bin/box was put out too late or in the wrong place

If you bin was presented correctly and not collected, you can report a missed collection.

If a bin or box contains items that shouldn’t be there, it may be classed as “improperly presented.” Our crews will aim to collect as much recycling as possible and provide feedback to help you get it right for future collections.

• If a minor issue is identified but the bin can still be emptied, a light blue tag/sticker may be left to highlight what needs to be corrected next time.
• If the contamination means the bin cannot be collected (for example, items that could affect the recycling process or pose a safety risk), a dark blue tag/sticker will be left explaining why.

For a full explanation of what each bin tag means and what you need to do next, please visit our bin tags information page.

If your bin is not collected, you will need to remove the incorrect items before your next scheduled collection. The council website has the full up to date list of what is accepted in each container.

View what goes in each bin

If you are elderly, disabled or have medical needs, you may be eligible for an assisted collection. You can apply for an assisted collection for all waste and recycling collections.

You can report this online and request a repair or replacement bin.

You can start to use your new recycling bins/boxes after your last sack collection has taken place during May.

You can view the Household Waste and Recycling Policy on our website. The policy outlines the Council’s approach to waste and recycling services, including service types, collection schedules, and resident and council responsibilities.

Non-recyclable waste collections are moving from fortnightly to three-weekly because new national recycling laws require us to collect more recyclable materials at kerbside, including glass, soft plastics and food and drink cartons.

Most of what currently goes in the non-recyclable waste bin can be recycled and by recycling these materials, it should free up capacity in your grey bin meaning that they don’t require collections as frequently.

The Council offers a separate absorbent hygiene (AHP) collection service for eligible residents. The collections will take place using Council issued sacks and will be collected the week before and on every non-recyclable waste collection day.

Apply for AHP collections

Some properties will experience a three-week (or longer) gap between grey bin collections at the start of June.

To support these residents, we will allow up to 2 additional refuse sacks to be presented alongside the grey bin on their first scheduled collection in June or collect up to 5 sacks in total from our black sack properties.

This applies only to collections taking place between 8 June and 19 June for affected properties only. After this, all properties should be aligned to the standard three-week cycle, and no additional sacks will be collected.

The roll out the new waste and recycling service to communal properties has been extended to introduce a phased approach between now and September. This extended transition period allows us to work closely with Managing Agents and Landlords to finalise site-specific arrangements, including bin store layouts, access and container requirements, so the service can be introduced smoothly and effectively. During this time, residents should continue using their existing communal bins as normal, while also beginning to recycle additional materials such as glass, soft plastics and food and drink cartons.

For full details on what you need to do and how to prepare your site(s), visit our information page.

We’re introducing improvements to recycling services at properties with shared bins, but these changes take a bit longer to roll out. Thank you for your patience while we work closely with Managing Agents, Landlords and Housing Associations to get everything in place. Some elements still need further discussion and agreement, so we’ve extended the rollout to make sure everything runs smoothly and residents are fully supported.

More details on the changes for properties with shared bins can be found on our communal FAQs page.

We are conducting an interim review of the arrangements in September, after 3 full cycles of collection. This will balance initial feedback from customers, feedback from teams and ensuring that the arrangements continue to meet the government requirements, whilst still being affordable for taxpayers.

When the new service was designed, the Council recognised that some households, particularly larger families, may require additional recycling capacity. However, it was always intended that any additional capacity arrangements would be reviewed once the service had been introduced and residents had experience of using it in practice.

We are currently gathering operational data and monitoring feedback to ensure any future arrangements are based on actual usage patterns rather than assumptions.

We have completed two full collection cycles of both the red and blue recycling bins and have collected our first month of operational data. While this is already providing valuable insight, it is still too early to draw firm conclusions about long-term recycling capacity requirements.

Waste and recycling volumes vary throughout the year. Seasonal changes, school holidays, major events, and households adapting to the new service can all affect how much recycling is produced.

By collecting data over several collection cycles, we can ensure any decisions are based on a more representative picture of household recycling needs across the district.

Yes. Feedback from the public consultation highlighted concerns about capacity for some households, particularly larger families. This was reflected in the Council's May 2025 Cabinet decision and incorporated into the Household Waste and Recycling Collections Policy, which includes provision for additional support where there is a demonstrated need.

Yes. The Council has already introduced the Absorbent Hygiene Products (AHP) collection service to support households that generate additional waste due to medical or care needs.

Once sufficient data has been collected, we will review recycling volumes, household needs, operational considerations and resident feedback. This will help us develop fair and consistent eligibility criteria and ensure support is targeted to households that need it most.

We are currently monitoring the service and gathering evidence. Once we have reviewed several more collection cycles, we will provide further information on the options available, how residents can apply and the set eligibility criteria. Subject to the outcome of this review, we aim to make additional capacity available in the autumn and will provide a further update in due course.

Eligibility for additional recycling capacity will be assessed based on the number of permanent people living in your household. Applications will be considered on a case by case basis, to ensure additional capacity is provided where it is needed most. Full eligibility criteria and application details will be published when the scheme becomes available.

We recommend:

• Making full use of both recycling bins.
• Flattening cardboard and crushing containers where appropriate.
• Using the weekly food waste collection service.
• Checking that all recyclable materials are being placed in the correct recycling container.
• Using local recycling centres or bring sites for occasional excess recycling.