From 1 June 2021 glass and cans will be collected from residents in two separate boxes.
As Colchester Borough Council collection crews continue to keep up with the extra recycling that is being produced while everyone is at home more, residents are being asked to help the council’s collections run smoothly by separating glass and cans into two separate boxes. The separation of these materials will be required from 1 June 2021.
When glass and cans are in the same box, broken glass can cause issues with the contamination of the recycling, which reduces the quality, as well as causing a health and safety issue for collection crews as they must separate the items by hand at the kerbside.
Many residents already have a second box which can be used to separate glass and cans. Anyone who doesn’t have a second box, can either use a box they already have, as long as it’s a similar size and not made of cardboard, or fill out this online form to request one.
On a residents last mixed glass and cans recycling collection (either w/c 17 or 24 May) crews will put a reminder sticker on glass/can boxes to let residents know that items will need to be separated from their next Blue Week collection.
Cllr Martin Goss, Colchester Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Waste, Environment and Transportation, said “I’d urge residents to start thinking ahead now. Bear in mind that if your next cans and glass recycling collection date falls after 1 June, you should start putting recyclable glass and cans in separate recycling boxes. To make this small change easier for everyone, you can use your own box, if it is a similar size and not made of cardboard, or you can order a second box via the councils website.”
There is no change for flats with communal recycling facilities.
Residents can visit colchester.gov.uk/recycling at any time to manage their recycling collections, including checking their recycling calendar, look up their collection day and report a missed collection.
It’s easy to keep up to date with recycling news year-round by registering for the Greener Living e-newsletter, following the council on social media at @YourColchester on Twitter and EnjoyColchester on Facebook or visiting colchester.gov.uk/recycling.
Page last reviewed: 13 May 2021