Braintree District Council is thanking residents for their continued support of the new recycling and waste collection service, which launched across the district in June.
The changes have been introduced in response to new national legislation, known as Simpler Recycling in England, which requires councils to collect more recycling at kerbside and reduce the amount of general waste.
Since June, residents have made a strong start to using the new recycling arrangements. Early figures show that compared to June 2025, paper, card and mixed recycling tonnages have increased by 127%, food recycling has increased by 37% and garden waste increased by 29%. At the same time, general waste collected by Braintree District Council has decreased by 19%.
The increase in recycling and reduction in general waste is thanks to the efforts of residents who have successfully adapted to the changes.
As households continue to use the new recycling service, there are a number of simple steps that can help make the most of the available recycling capacity and ensure materials can be successfully recycled. Residents are encouraged to put the right item in the right bin, keep recycling clean, dry and loose, and where possible squash or flatten containers, such as plastic bottles and cardboard, to create more space. Rinsing food containers, separating paper and card from mixed recycling, and avoiding placing recycling in bags can also help to reduce contamination.
The council is progressing plans to introduce an additional recycling capacity scheme this autumn, as set out within the Household Waste and Recycling policy. Feedback from residents and evidence from early collection data are helping to inform the detailed design and implementation of the scheme, ensuring it reflects how the service is being used in practice and supports households that need additional capacity. As the new service continues to bed in, we will continue to monitor performance and gather further data to help shape the final arrangements. Full details, including eligibility criteria and the application process, will be communicated ahead of the autumn launch.
Councillor Peter Schwier, Cabinet Member for Operations and Pride in Place at Braintree District Council said: “We would like to thank residents for their support and feedback following the introduction of the new collections system.
“We understand that changes to collection arrangements on such a large scale can take time for everyone to get used to. We appreciate the patience residents have shown so far and remain committed to listening to comments and making improvements.
“The early results are extremely encouraging and show that residents are embracing the change and helping to recycle more from their door.”
Residents can visit Braintree District Council’s website for up-to-date service changes, and find useful information on what items can or can’t be accepted in their recycling collections.