RESIDENTS in Colchester are set to get a visit from wardens offering recycling advice ahead of big changes to waste collection being introduced in June. 

Three recycling zone wardens will be visiting households across the borough to offer help and advice ahead of the changes, which will include fortnightly bin collections and the introduction of wheelie bins to six areas in Colchester.

The wardens will explain how to increase the use of the kerbside food waste collection, which at the moment only 60 per cent of households in the borough use regularly.

The wardens are already out and about, working with households.

The council says they have had some fantastic results including a family of eight (six children, two adults and a dog) who had concerns around meeting the three bag per fortnight limit as they were putting out ten black bags a week.

A member of the team visited the family to talk through the changes, ways of recycling more and dropped off the free recycling containers they needed.

After four weeks they had reduced their rubbish to four bags a week, but were struggling with space for their food waste, so the team supplied an extra free food waste caddy.

The council said the whole family got involved in recycling. They put up some simple hooks for the plastic and paper recycling bags, labelled them to make it fun and easier for the kids.

As a result a lot more gets recycled now and they are down to two black bags a week which are only three quarters full. These can be condensed and the family are now able confidently fall within the three bag limit per fortnight.

Councillor Paul Smith, Leader for the Council said: "The council took these decisions to cut the amount of waste that goes to landfill and help increase the recycling we do in Colchester.

"We understand that these are big changes.

"Some households may already be recycling everything, but there are 30per cent that don’t recycle at all, or who could do more.

"We are here to support residents that need extra help to understand what can and cannot go in the containers and our three dedicated Recycling Zone Wardens will help deliver that.

"There will be a small number or households due to their specific circumstances will produce more than the three bag limit.

"They will be able to apply under our exemptions policy, which will be available online from mid-May and will include a visit from a Recycling Zone Warden to ensure we go through each application on an individual basis.

"We will also be holding information roadshows around the Borough throughout May and June, where residents can come and talk to us and ask any questions that they have."

Information roadshow events details will be added to colchester.gov.uk/recycling as they are confirmed.

The recycling and rubbish changes will be introduced in June 2017, until that time residents are encouraged to continue putting their rubbish and recycling out as normal and recycle as much as they can.

For more information and to read the frequently asked questions document, please visit colchester.gov.uk/recycling.

What's changing and when?

To recap on the changes being introduced, the council's recycling and rubbish changes are being introduced to help boost recycling and cut waste.

This will include:

  • Introducing fortnightly collections for general rubbish
  • A maximum of three 60 litre black sacks per household, or a 180 litre wheelie bin (in selected areas)
  • Food waste will continue to be collected weekly
  • Free clear bags for recycling will be delivered but no free black bags
  • White garden sacks will be free for non-wheelie bin areas, or a 240 litre wheelie bin (in selected areas). The size is equivalent to four white sacks.
  • A second free green box to separate glass and cans
  • Wheelie bin collections will be introduced in the following wards: