A wider range of recyclable items, including glass, could be collected from homes in the Tendring district – but not until 2026.

News of the change follows Tendring District Council’s (TDC) decision to put its current multi-million pound contract for waste and street cleaning– currently held by Veolia Environmental Services until early 2026 out to tender. At the same time, the council also committed to retail fornightly collections.

Any new contract will have to comply with the Environment Act 2021’s ‘Simpler Recycling’ rules, which include kerbside collections of glass and require the contractor to act as a single point of contact to resolve customer issues and streamline missed collection reporting.

Principles for street sweeping and bin emptying would require targetting where the need is greatest at any one time, rather than being dictated by a prescribed cleaning schedule.

Mike Bush, TDC cabinet member for environment, said: “Residents have told us, as part of the consultation into Our Vision – the Council’s corporate plan – that they did not want a reduction in waste collections, and wanted us to explore collecting more materials for recycling.”

He added: “The council is looking to collect a wider range of recyclable material and we are also committed to environmental sustainability, while providing a cost-effective service. The process to design, procure and agree our next waste collection contract is a long one but we have now agreed the core principles we want in a future contract.”

TDC is a member of the Essex Waste Partnership, which is delivering a new Essex waste strategy, which is scheduled to be adopted by TDC in September. The strategy is linked to national targets and objectives, including the ceasing of sending residual waste to landfill, while maximising waste minimisation, reuse and recycling