Recycling Issues

Many residents have complained about their bins not being emptied.

At full council on Wednesday (20 Oct) Cllr Val Morris-Cook - portfolio holder for Environment - explained why plastic bags were now not allowed in the blue bins.

She said: "We had a huge contamination issue. People were putting kitchen waste in plastic bags and then thinking: It's plastic; it can be recycled, forgetting the kitchen waste.

"At one point 25 per cent of our recycling loads were being rejected and that posed a massive cost to the council, in excess of £400,000 in a full year. It levelled out at about 19 per cent.

"At first, when people had their recycling refused, they were upset, but now we're getting the message across. Plastic bags should not go in the blue bin.

"Now we're at 7.5 per cent contamination and the number of bins being refused is falling too."

Cllr Morris-Cook explained to the meeting that the council had carried out a wide range of information measures including letters and articles in newspapers, stickers on the bins and an article in the council magazine.

She said: "I would like to thank the residents of Thurrock for their patience; it's not been easy, but they listened and are now doing it."