A 'MISUNDERSTANDING' over recycling collections has meant a school has been left with a pile of plastic outside.

Myland Primary School was having plastic and paper recycling collected by Colchester Council on a Friday.

However, for the past four weeks, their plastic has been left outside the school in Mill Road.

The school's business manager, Jo Farthing, called the council for an explanation.

She was told by an operator the school was considered a 'commercial' property, as opposed to residential.

However the school is part of an ongoing 'Eco Schools Project', where schools can request for the council to collect their recycling.

Mrs Farthing said: "We pride ourselves on recycling. The council takes our paper recycling on a Friday, and on the Thursday the Year 6's go around and empty all the paper bins.

"Up until about a month ago they always collected our plastic and tin recycling. They used to collect it on a Friday when they did the domestic waste."

The plastic recycling began piling up outside the school gates.

The school was told they would need to pay for a private company to collect it in future, or put it in with their general waste for landfill.

However as they are part of the Eco Schools project, they should not have to do this.

The business manager added: "We are trying to teach the children about recycling and we are all meant to be doing it.

"We have never had any problems, they have always collected it.

"They stop their lorry outside the school when they collect the waste from residents. I just don't understand the mentality."

Normally schools in Essex have to pay for contractors to collect the recycling.

A Colchester Council spokesman said: “We have collected plastic for recycling from Myland Primary School for many years, as part of our Eco Schools Project, and have a dedicated member of staff available for the school to contact whenever issues arise.

“We are uncertain who provided the school with incorrect information, and apologise for any misunderstanding that has arisen, as the school was due its normal plastic collection this week.”

As of Friday morning, the plastic waste has been collected from the school.