Improving our recycling service

This spring, we will be rolling out some small-scale enhancements to our recycling service, enabling residents to re-start recycling textiles and increase the safety of our collection crews.

Throughout the pandemic our crews have been working hard to continue collecting waste and recycling from across the city. Given that many of us are spending more time at home, and online shopping has increased, we need to find new ways of safely speeding up collections. This is why, from w/c 26 April, several changes will be introduced.

Textile recycling collections to restart from w/c 26 April

You will be pleased to hear we will be working in partnership with Essex Textiles to re-start our clothing and textile kerbside collection from w/c 26 April.

A roll of blue sacks and an information leaflet will be delivered to all households during March and April. This will explain what you can leave out for collection and how you can order extra blue bags or report a missed collection.

Once you have received your blue bags, textile recycling will be collected by Essex Textiles on your normal collection day on a Blue Week. Please note they will not be collected at the same time as your cans and glass or black bags as Essex Textiles will be using a different vehicle.

More details about these service improvements will be available at colchester.gov.uk/recycling by April.

Separating glass and cans from 1 June

Also, from 1 June, we will be asking you to put your glass and cans into separate boxes for kerbside collection.

In 2017 we provided an optional second green box for residents to use to do this – but now we want residents to play their part in supporting our crews by putting their cans and bottles in separate boxes.

Putting glass and cans in separate boxes at the kerbside does two things: it improves the health, safety and the working conditions for the crews who are currently sorting mixed glass and can boxes by hand at the rear of the trucks; and it improves the quality of the material for onward recycling so produces less waste. Putting out the boxes when they are at least half full also means that the crews can move quickly through the routes.

There will be no change to your collection day, and you can use your own container, if it is a similar size to the green boxes and not made of cardboard.

While the labels can be left on them, it is important that all glass and can items are rinsed clean and empty of food or liquid. Ideally, cans and tins should be squashed too.

Check out our quick guide to what you can recycling on a Blue Week at colchester.gov.uk/recycling.

Download your 2021/22 recycling calendar

You can check your 2021/22 recycling calendar online to download the correct calendar for your home. Please remember that if you are helping a friend or family member to download their calendar, the information is based on their postcode, so do not share your calendar with others. You will need to use their postcode to check they have the correct version.

There are no changes to your collection day – and because Christmas falls on a weekend there will be no seasonal changes to the schedule this year. As mentioned above, textile recycling will move to a Blue Week from w/c 26 April, and you will need to put your cans and glass into separate boxes from 1 June.