Bin trial to get council out of 'relegation zone'

A pilot scheme involving hundreds of homes has been introduced to help lift recycling rates out of "the relegation zone", a senior councillor has said.

About 500 homes in the village of Ingatestone moved to fortnightly bin collections in October and recycling rates among those households have risen by 10% since, according to Brentwood Borough Council.

The borough has had the lowest recycling rate of any local authority in Essex.

"We've got to do something about it," said David Worsfold, who is deputy leader of the council and chairman of its Clean & Green Committee.

Recycling rates in Brentwood had fallen to 37.5%, from 49% a decade ago.

The properties involved in the trial moved to fortnightly collections for general rubbish and the recycling of things like card and plastic.

Food waste collections remain weekly.

Neighbouring Chelmsford City Council already follows a fortnightly pattern.

The council said the 10% jump was largely down to reduced residual waste and increased food and glass recycling.

The rates are calculated by weighing how much of the rubbish is being sent for recycling.

Worsfold said the council's poor performance in recent years was likely down to a lack of promotion.

"The best local authorities with a similar sort of demographic and housing mix are already over 60% and we're a long way off the pace.

"We're in the relegation zone, it's as simple as that."

The trial is set to last until April.

"We can see the direction of travel, it's working," added Worsfold, who is a Liberal Democrat.

Paul Jeater, chairman of Ingatestone and Fryerning Parish Council, who has been taking part in the trial as a resident, said he felt it had gone well.

"Obviously the first week or so it took some residents time to get used to it. But on the whole I think it's been a real success," said Jeater.

"You can tell just from walking down the road more people are recycling food waste."

He also said there was noticeably less litter on bin collection days.

"The more stuff that goes in general waste the council has to pay for landfill or incinerations, so actually recycling is a double whammy. It saves the environment but it also saves the council money, which is good news."

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.