We’re pleased to share that food recycling and dry mixed recycling collections are being rolled out to all flats in Colchester with communal bin stores. This is an important step that will make recycling simpler for you at home, giving you more opportunities to reduce waste and protect our environment.
What’s happening and when will you see changes?
From 19 January through to March, flats included in this rollout will start to receive a food recycling caddy, along with a complimentary set of liners and a leaflet explaining the new service. Once your caddy arrives, you can start recycling food straight away. Once it’s full, simply empty it into the communal food bin in your bin store. Collections will begin from 26 January and will take place every week.
At the same time, we will be introducing dry mixed recycling in these bin stores. Paper and card, plastics, tins and cans can all be put into the same bin, making recycling simpler for residents. Glass must be separated still and placed in the labelled bin.
Why this matters
These changes will help improve recycling rates across Colchester and keep us compliant with the Government’s Simpler Recycling regulations. In 2024, residents recycled 6,265 tonnes of food waste. Instead of going to landfill, that food was turned into clean, renewable energy which was enough to power 1,250 homes! By adding more than 10,000 flats to the food waste collection service, we can make an even bigger impact.
Where will the new recycling bins be?
Food recycling bins and dry mixed recycling bins will be placed in communal bin stores over the coming weeks and are clearly labelled so you know where to put your recycling.
Cllr Martin Goss, Portfolio Holder for Waste, Neighbourhoods and Leisure, said: “In Colchester flats, around 26% of general waste thrown away is food, so this is a very worthwhile project. The best thing we can do is buy only the food we need, but when waste is unavoidable, it’s important that residents have a way to recycle as much as possible.
“Residents in Colchester are already fantastic at recycling, but it has been more difficult for flats, so the addition of mixed recycling and food collections is brilliant – I’m looking forward to seeing the results.”
Find out more
Your personal recycling calendar, that you can check here, will show you your recycling collection days.
If you’re unsure what goes in your food caddy or the dry mixed recycling bins, you can check here.
The council are providing one set of complimentary bin liners with the new food caddies – we recommend that you use them to keep your caddy clean, with more being available to purchase here.