Proposed changes to waste collections

At Cabinet on 16 December 2024, Members agreed that the Council should go out to consultation on proposed changes to its waste collection service (from April 2026) as follows:

• Expansion of weekly food waste collections to flats.
• Improved kerbside recycling collections to include glass, food & drink cartons and soft plastics.
• Separate collections of card & paper.
• Mixed collection of other dry recyclables incl. glass, soft plastics and food/drink cartons.

Collections in bins where appropriate as follows:-

• Food waste (weekly)
• Cardboard & paper (one fortnight)
• Other dry mixed recyclables (the next fortnight)
• Non-recyclable waste (3-weekly)
• Garden Waste – no change (fortnightly)

A further report will be taken to Cabinet in May 2025 setting out the final proposed collection methodology.

The consultation will run for 8 weeks, from 6 January to 2 March 2025, and will give residents an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposals to help inform the future collection arrangements.

All feedback will be considered when finalising the report for Cabinet in May 2025.

If approved, the changes would be introduced from April 2026.

The Government’s waste reforms (Simpler Recycling) require that local authorities collect a common set of recyclable materials from the kerbside for both residents and businesses. Therefore, we are taking the opportunity to review how we collect waste so that we can:

• Meet the requirements of the new legislation.
• Divert as much waste as possible from landfill and capture more of this for recycling to support our climate aspirations.
• Meet the targets nationally and as part of the new Waste Strategy for Essex to recycle at least 65% of household waste by 2035.
• Reduce the cost of waste collection and disposal.

Paper and card are easily damaged/soiled when collected with other materials e.g. food and drink containers, and this compromises the quality of the material and its ability to be recycled.

Recycling good quality paper and card means that we don’t need to cut down as many trees to make new products.

Most households already find storage space for numerous filled sacks of recyclable waste and so we believe that the majority of households will have sufficient space for the extra bins. However, we know that accommodating all the bins may not work for some households so responding to the consultation will give us a better idea of those areas where bins may not be suitable.

Where there are space constraints, we will undertake an assessment to review the property and the receptacles that will be provided. Residents won’t be able to opt out but will be assessed for their available space under a set criteria.

Yes, we are proposing to collect paper and card separately from other dry recyclables and so two bins would be needed. This is because paper and card are prone to becoming contaminated when mixed with other recycling, which impacts the ability to recycle these materials.

The option to co-mingle all materials in one bin/ receptacle was considered as part of the process of identifying a preferred option for consultation. This preferred option provides better value for money for our residents and also supports the Council’s waste and climate change aspirations.

No; any additional bins for recycling would be delivered in early 2026 and would be provided free of charge.

The consultation will give residents an opportunity to provide feedback about the changes being proposed. This will then be analysed and considered when reviewing our waste policy alongside the final report to Cabinet in May.

Where there are space constraints, we will undertake an assessment to review the property and the type of receptacles that would best suit.

Waste composition analysis shows that c.30-35% of the contents of refuse (grey) bins are food waste with an additional 15% being other recyclable material.

If residents make full use of ALL the recycling options and service enhancements we are proposing, they will have ample capacity in their grey bins for their non-recyclable waste.

The waste will still be collected, but in different bins, which will ensure we capture as much recyclable material as possible to support a reduction of waste to landfill, improved recycling performance and our climate aspirations.

The proposed collection methodology enables us to meet the legislative requirements, whilst at the same time, delivering the best value for money for our taxpayers.

We particularly want to hear from residents about any concerns they have for additional support. The consultation will give residents an opportunity to feed back any additional requirements that need to be considered with the collection methodology being proposed. This will then be analysed and considered when reviewing our waste policy alongside the final report to Cabinet in May, to include:

• Assisted Collections
• Medical needs
• Absorbent hygiene products (e.g. nappies)
• Larger households
• Space and access restrictions

There is no evidence to suggest that residents would see an increase in vermin or other pests, especially as food waste is collected weekly. Making use of the weekly food waste collection will also help to keep smells to a minimum.

We expect the proposed arrangements to result in less littering, as all waste should be completely contained within the receptacles provided.

Items most commonly fly-tipped are bulky items or trade waste, neither of which are collected as part of our kerbside collection service. We are confident that with information to encourage recycling, and support in place for larger households and others who need it, residents will continue to dispose of their waste responsibly.

The consultation will give residents an opportunity to feed back any additional requirements that need to be considered with the collection methodology being proposed. This will then be analysed and considered when reviewing our waste policy alongside the final report to Cabinet in May.

The colour of the bins are for illustrative purposes only to help explain what is being proposed. If the proposals are approved at May Cabinet, the bins (excluding garden waste) would be black but with a coloured lid as a visual aid to residents and crews so that they know which materials to put in which bins.

The consultation invites residents to tell us how they prefer to hear from the Council. Feedback will help determine how best to communicate any changes which will include both digital and non-digital options for residents.

This means that you would have:

• one bin (paper and card) emptied one fortnight and
• the other bin (glass, metal, plastics) emptied the following fortnight.

Putting loose waste into a bin takes up a lot less space than it would in a sack and with the two bins being proposed, we believe that this will provide adequate capacity for your recyclable waste.

The consultation will give residents an opportunity to feed back any additional requirements that need to be considered with the collection methodology being proposed.

No, as shredded paper isn’t easily recyclable due to its small size which impacts both the recyclability but also the way it is processed in the facility and can get trapped in machinery, creating a fire hazard.

No, the changes are driven by the need to:

• Meet the requirements of the new legislation.
• Divert as much waste as possible from landfill and capture more of this for recycling to support our climate aspirations.
• Meet the targets nationally and as part of the new Waste Strategy for Essex to recycle at least 65% of household waste by 2035.
• Reduce the cost of waste collection and disposal.

No decision will be made until a report is presented at the May 2025 Cabinet Meeting when Members will consider final proposals that take into account feed-back from the consultation. We therefore encourage all residents to take part in the survey to help shape our future waste collection service.

The standard size of the grey bin that we issue to households has a 180-litre capacity which is considered adequate for a family of up to four people if you separate out all your recyclable waste, including food waste.

Under our current service, residents may apply for a larger bin but will need to meet certain criteria before extra bin capacity can be issued. If a larger bin is approved, the current bin must be surrendered for return. Please note that we do not currently levy a charge for extra bin capacity and are not proposing to change that.

Looking to the future of our waste collection services, our public consultation gives residents an opportunity to provide feedback about the changes being proposed and we are encouraging all residents to take part in the survey.

No decisions will be made until a report is presented at the May 2025 Cabinet Meeting when Members will consider final proposals to our waste strategy that take account of feedback from the consultation.