Changes to Waste Collection in Colchester

Changes to Waste Collection in Colchester

Cuts to council budgets and the resulting changes to services are now commonplace, and waste management budgets were among the first to be feel the pinch. Waste disposal is an expensive business, and this has led councils to introduce changes to services which are supposed to save money, and encourage residents to do their bit. If people recycle more, less waste is generated, and less waste needs to be disposed of, and this saves money.

Colchester

12,000 new wheelie bins are set to be delivered to residents in Colchester as part of sweeping changes to waste collection and recycling in the area.

New 180 litre bins for non-recyclable waste and larger brown garden waste bins were delivered to 1 in 3 households in the borough. Residents will receive a postcard explaining how the changes to services will affect them, and what can go into each bin.

What the council say

The council say that if residents make use of the weekly food and recycling waste collections, they should have space in their new bins or rubbish bags to last them until the next collection. They do recognise that some larger families might produce a higher amount of waste however, and they will be considered for exemption from the new rules.

The council adds that they have sent residents a collection calendar with their new collection days on. They are also encouraging residents to reuse items, swap them, or dispose of them via the council’s bulky item collection service. This will help reduce overall waste.

Resident’s concerns

One resident is concerned that her family of 5 produce too much waste for collections to be scaled back that much. She is concerned about the smell of the rubbish and that it is a health hazard. She is also concerned that it will increase rates of fly-tipping. Other complaints around the bins being an eyesore and about bins overflowing were also raised.

However, some residents did say that they thought that the new bins would encourage people to recycle more.

Another resident complained that the council’s scheme is not particularly organised and is potentially confusing for many residents. There are also concerns that the new bins will encourage vandalism.