From Charlotte Paine, Head of Operations, Braintree District Council to assist in supporting residents during the live launch of the new BDC Waste Service
BDC Website
The Council website has now been updated as the single source of information for the new service, bringing together everything residents need to understand and use their waste and recycling collections. This includes clear explanations of what is changing and why, what materials can now be recycled from the kerbside, and how collection schedules will work under the new system. Residents can also find answers to frequently asked questions, check their bin delivery status, and access support around property assessments, assisted collections and alternative arrangements. The page also signposts key actions, including how to request a replacement welcome pack, contact the Council, or access their collection information, ensuring residents have one place to go for the latest guidance and updates
Link to website – https://www.braintree.gov.uk/wastechanges
Link to FAQs – https://www.braintree.gov.uk/council/new-waste-recycling-collections-started/2
Welcome Pack and Collection calendars
We expect all residents will have now received their personalised letters with details of their new collections, a leaflet with all the information about the new service (attached) as well as their own collection calendar. Collection calendars are also now available online here: Download your collection calendar
These calendars reflect the updated collection patterns, so it is important that residents refer to their individual schedule to ensure the correct materials are presented on the right day.
A small number of residents may not have received their welcome letter or calendar. They can request a replacement online, and should be directed to do so where needed here: Tell us if you have not received a letter regarding your new waste and recycling service | Instructions – Braintree District Council
Bin tags (new from 1st June)
As the new service begins, crews will use bin tags and stickers to help support residents as they adjust to the changes and give clear, helpful feedback where something isn’t quite right. We recognise that some residents may take time to get used to the new arrangements, and where possible bins may still be emptied even if an issue is identified. In these cases, a light blue tag will be left to explain what was noticed so it can be corrected before the next collection. Where a bin cannot be emptied, for example because the contents would affect the recycling process or the bin is unsafe to collect, a dark blue tag will be used to explain this. During the initial bedding-in period, this approach is intended to guide and support residents, helping them understand the new requirements and avoid issues with future collections.
Delivery Update – Current Position
The vast majority of bins have now been delivered across the district. However, there remain a small number of outstanding or delayed deliveries which are currently being resolved as a priority. Members may receive enquiries from residents who are still waiting for containers, and these should be directed to the Council so they can be followed up as quickly as possible.
Our current focus is on ensuring that residents who may not yet have any bins or boxes delivered are prioritised. We will then continue to work through any outstanding removals or changes following review requests.
Where residents are awaiting a change to their containers and this is unlikely to be completed before go-live, we are advising that they continue to use the containers that they have had delivered to present their waste, and these will be replaced as soon as possible.
AHP (Absorbent Hygiene Products) Service
Applications for the AHP service opened on 11th May and we have seen that this service has been a positive approach to supporting our residents with the changes. We continue to process applications by the date that they were received but, due to the volume of requests received in the first few days, we may miss the target date for some of those applications. The team is working through these as quickly as possible and will contact residents directly where there is any delay.
Additional Capacity and Bin Size Changes
At present, due to the scale of the service changes being introduced across the district, including the delivery of new containers to approximately 70,000 households, it has not been possible to introduce a range of alternative bin sizes alongside go-live. Our immediate priority has been to ensure that all households receive the standard containers required to operate the new service. In addition, the types of materials that can be recycled will change significantly under the new arrangements, which is likely to impact how residents use both their recycling and refuse capacity. For this reason, it is important that residents have the opportunity to experience the new service in practice before any adjustments are made. Capacity requirements will therefore be reviewed once the service has been fully introduced and has begun to bed in, with an application process to follow later in the year for those households with a demonstrated need for larger or smaller recycling containers. This approach ensures that any changes are based on actual usage rather than assumptions ahead of the service starting.
Collection Transition – Initial Scheduling
As previously communication while the majority of collections across the district will take place within three weeks of residents’ final collection in May, there are some areas where households will experience a slightly longer gap before their first collection under the new schedule in June. This affects a limited number of properties, and we will be issuing further communications to those impacted to provide reassurance. For these households only, and for a short period during the second and third weeks of the new service (8–12 June and 15–19 June), residents will be able to present up to two additional sacks of refuse side waste, which will be authorised to be collected. This is a temporary measure to support the transition, and once households have received their first collection under the new schedule, all properties will move onto the standard three weekly cycle, after which additional sacks will not be collected.
We will continue to monitor the service closely over the coming weeks and provide further updates where needed. If there are any issues or themes emerging locally, please do let us know via wastereview@braintree.gov.uk so we can respond quickly and ensure residents are supported through the transition.