Supporting you to reduce, reuse and recycle

We are always trying to improve our recycling rates in Colchester.However, it’s not just about recycling as we also need to:

• reduce the amount of waste we produce and use (such as single use plastic packaging)
• look at ways we can reuse more of the things (such as keeping clothes for longer or buying things from charity shops rather than new things).

Projects we are working on to support recycling and reduce waste production:

• Developing a new recycling and waste strategy to align with government policy, reduce waste and increase reuse and recycling rates.
• Deliver a project to introduce food waste collections for flats.
• Improve our business waste collection service, in line with government requirements for businesses to separate waste for recycling from 31 March 2025.
• Increase education and enforcement around fly tipping and littering, working with community organisations and other partners to make Colchester cleaner.
  
  This includes running our Litter Warriors programme to support you to pick up litter in your community.
• Reducing our own waste by reusing tree waste (from dead or removed trees) to make chippings for use on shrub borders to reduce weed growth.

Case study: Smart waste bins

We have introduced a number of smart bins across Colchester to help improve the way waste is stored and collected.

The smart bins have an inbuilt compacting mechanism, allowing waste to be pressed down in the bin so more can be stored, meaning it needs emptying less frequently.

When the bin is nearly full, a notification is sent to the street wardens who can then go and empty it.

These bins help cut down on the number of bins that need emptying.

They have worked well in West Mersea where four of these bins have been installed, with a further 6 more being installed in other locations around Colchester in late 2024.

What you can recycle

Find more information on what you can and cannot recycle on the kerbside in Colchester

There are several materials that you can recycle, but not at the kerbside. Visit the Love Essex website or Recycle Now to search for places to recycle certain products.