Food Waste

Many residents do not recycle their food waste, despite the fact that this is collected weekly. This waste is processed using anaerobic digestion which not only produces compost and fertilizer, but also provides a source of energy to power our homes. No amount of food waste is too small to recycle – every little helps. It would be greatly appreciated if your Council would include key waste and recycling messages in its newsletter/magazine to residents (space permitting) to supplement the advisory information we send out with our collection calendars.

Mixed Dry Recycling

The quality of recycling collected in the Braintree District is very high and the majority of the residents separate items very carefully. However, we know that there is still confusion about what items can/cannot be recycled and every month our crews report sacks contaminated with nappies, food, glass and polystyrene. If this goes unchecked, it can result in a whole vehicle load being rejected by the processing plant which is a huge waste of everyone’s time and effort in sorting their waste. We have therefore published a list of what items can/can’t be recycled and this can be found on our website using the link below.

Recycling Sacks

You can collect more sacks free of chanrge from:

• Your local Essex Library

• The Council office at Causeway House, Braintree, CM7 9HB

• Email us at  csc@braintree.gov.uk

Car litter bag

You can collect your free bag from the reception desk at Causeway House, Braintree.

Gum pouch

Don't throw your gum on the floor, place it in a bin or use one of our free gum pouches. You can collect one from Causeway House, Braintree. 

Portable ashtray

Get your free portable ashtray from the Council office at Causeway House, Braintree, to stub and store your cigarette butts until you next find a bin. 

Green Heart sticker

Show your support for the Green Heart of Essex by displaying our sticker on your car, your window or even your bike! Collect one from the reception desk at Causeway House, Braintree.

All available while stocks last.

Waste Minimisation

In the UK, around 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away each day! As these break down over hundreds of years they will produce greenhouse gas which will contribute to global warming. This is without considering the environmental costs of their manufacture and transportation before they get to the shops. Cloth nappies are better for the environment and could save parents up to £1,000 if used in place of disposables, even taking laundry costs into account.

Essex County Council is offering a £30 refund per child on the purchase of any cloth nappies or laundering service. The nappies come in a variety of colours/styles and many are pre-shaped and fasten with poppers, grips or Velcro. Just £80 will kit out a baby with all the nappies they will need, although they can be bought second-hand online or hired from nappy libraries in Witham and Colchester. At the end of their useful life they can be recycled at a textile recycling bank.

For more information and to apply for a voucher, click on the link below: https://essex-self.achieveservice.com/service/Cloth_nappies_refund_claim

Resources and Waste Strategy for England

In 2019, the Government consulted on a new 25-year Waste Strategy (Resources and Waste Strategy for England) that sets ambitious plans for preserving the country’s stock of material resources by minimising waste, promoting resource efficiency and moving towards a circular economy, as well as minimising the damage to our natural environment by reducing and managing waste safely and tackling waste crime. The consultation covered four aspects of the Strategy:-

• Deposit Return Scheme

• Plastic Tax (on producers)  Extended Producer Responsibility (reform of UK packaging system)

• Consistency (collection methodology)

The Government will consult further on their proposals once they have considered all of the feedback from the various local authorities, businesses and organisations representing the waste industry, but we expect them to have implications for waste collection authorities on how they collect household waste.

Collections of Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

On 20 January 2020, the Council launched a trial amenity recycling collection service for small electrical items such as kettles, toasters, irons, radios, toothbrushes, etc. to prevent this waste going into the residual waste stream. Residents will be able to drop off their small electrical items to our collection vehicles which will stop at designated sites local to them. The service will operate on Wednesdays on a rolling 4-weekly schedule as follows:- Week 1 – Witham and Kelvedon Week 2 – Braintree and Great Notley Week 3 – Halstead, Bulmer and Earls Colne Week 4 – Steeple Bumpstead, Great Yeldham and Sible Hedingham

In addition, residents who book a Special Collection may now include up to 4 small items of WEEE free of charge (on top of the items they pay for). The service is being advertised on the Council’s website and via social media channels.

Verge Cutting

As last year, the District Council has been asked to undertake cutting of the rural verges on behalf of the County Council. This involves a Spring and Autumn cut (excluding ‘special’ verges) which will be undertaken in conjunction with our litter-picking teams to ensure that areas are left neat, tidy and litter-free.

Channel Sweeping

To view the latest street sweeping schedule please click on the link below.

https://www.braintree.gov.uk/parishsweeps

Please keep vehicles clear of kerbs so that sweepers have clear access to the road channels. The sweeper has a programmed route concentrating on main highways where there are kerbs.

Great British Spring Clean

Keep Britain Tidy (KBT) are currently in the process of creating a new pledge form so that it’s easier for people to register their details, whether an individual or a group and they are about to launch a new store where you can buy all your litter-picking equipment. If you have a community waste bin, litter-picked waste can go into that; otherwise, if you give our Customer Services Centre a call, we’ll arrange a collection. For more information, please click on the link below.

Commercial Grounds Maintenance Service

They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression, so it pays businesses to make sure that their outside space is attractive and welcoming to visitors. Our grounds maintenance team are professionally qualified and experienced individuals who can offer regular or one-off services including grass cutting, planting and shrub bed maintenance. We would be more than happy to quote for any works your Council may require. For a free, no-obligation quote, call 01376 552525 or e-mail csc@braintree.gov.uk.

Commercial Waste Service

Anyone operating a business – whether from home or at a separate business premises – will need a commercial waste collection. The Council offers a reliable, efficient and cost-effective solution tailored to suit customers’ needs and can even help to reduce/recycle more of their waste, saving them money and reducing their carbon footprint into the bargain. Any local businesses wanting more information can contact our Customer Service Centre on 01376 552525 and ask to speak to a member of our Commercial Waste Team or they can get a free ‘no obligation’ quote by completing the on-line form at www.braintree.gov.uk/xfp/form/289