Colchester City Council has drafted a new Recycling and Waste Strategy, outlining how it will handle Colchester's waste for the next 15 years (2025-2040). The strategy sets out a plan to reduce waste, improve recycling, simplify recycling, and reduce the cost of collection. Now it wants to hear your views.
The draft strategy sets out the vision and principles to show how the council can modernise Colchester’s waste collection service to ensure it works for its communities and help protect the environment and save resources. It reflects the recent government legislation changes and forms part of the council’s significant Fit for the Future programme of investment and transformation to ensure it has long-term financial resilience.
Cllr Martin Goss, Portfolio Holder for Waste, Neighbourhood Services and Leisure, said: “We are facing significant financial pressure, and to help counteract these pressures, we must alter the way we do things and improve the way we manage waste. This means that we need to consider a new service and introduce a simpler way for residents to manage their materials in wheeled bins and recycling boxes.”
It also focuses on investing in community initiatives and encouraging people to think about reducing, reusing and recycling more to protect our environment, and will help the council to meet its aim to be net zero emissions by 2030.
Since the introduction of the council’s previous waste strategy (launched in 2017), which saw the introduction of fortnightly waste collections and a cap on the amount of non-recyclable waste residents could put out, recycling rates increased by around ten percent. However, Colchester households are still throwing away over 59,076 tonnes of waste each year – this is about 346Kg per person, which is equivalent to a grand piano. More needs to be done to reduce this to meet government targets.
Cllr Martin Goss added: “The draft Recycling and Waste Strategy is an important framework that will guide us over the next 15 years and has been informed through modelling and best practice.
“The proposed approach will see a simpler way for residents to manage their materials. Glass will continue to be collected in a green box, food waste in a caddy and all other recycling material placed in one wheeled bin and non-recyclable waste in a black wheeled bin. The council will also collect more types of recycling and will help residents to reduce, reuse and recycle more. We will look carefully at the feedback we collect, but simplification is essential if we are to raise recycling rates, meet government policy requirements and reduce our costs by £1m a year.
“We want to work with residents to build the draft Recycling and Waste Strategy into a finished plan, which is why it’s essential for you to have your say. With your help, Colchester can continue being one of the leaders and pioneers in recycling and waste management, making the city a better place to live, visit and do business in.”
Residents can find the full draft Recycling and Waste Strategy, an easier to read summary of the Waste Strategy and the public consultation survey by following this link. The public consultation is now open and lasts for six weeks, ending on 16 August. Complete the survey now and be part of helping shape the Recycling and Waste Strategy for Colchester.
Once all responses have been analysed and reviewed, a consultation report with recommendations will be taken to the Cabinet in October 2024.
Page last reviewed: 5 July 2024