A new £30m waste contract will see glass collected for recycling from homes in Tendring for the first time – but not until October 2026.
The new service was announced after Tendring District Council (TDC) approved the three-year contract with Veolia, the current provider of waste collection and street cleaning services.
Under the contract, which will cost £7.8m more than the current budget, fortnightly collections will continue for households with wheelie bins, while those on the black sack service will still receive weekly collections.
Kerbside glass recycling will be added to the existing dry mixed recycling service next autumn, along with a wider range of plastic materials. The council says that weekly food waste collections will be expanded to cover more properties – including flats – from April 2026, when the new contract begins. Street cleaning standards will remain at least equivalent to those currently provided.
“Even in challenging financial times, we’ve worked hard to keep this service affordable while meeting new environmental obligation,” said TDC leader Mark Stephenson. “This is the council’s largest contract, so securing funding while safeguarding frontline services has been a top priority.”
He added: “We’re working closely with Veolia to make the rollout as smooth as possible. Our focus is on keeping residents informed, and every household will be contacted well in advance so everyone knows what’s changing and when.”
Councillor Adrian Smith, TDC’s cabinet member for environment, said: “We promised residents that fortnightly collections would stay, and we’re delivering on that commitment while going further by introducing kerbside glass recycling, adding to the range of plastics and expanding food waste collections.”
“These improvements will make recycling simpler and help everyone do their bit for the planet and our local environment.”
The council says that essential services won’t be cut to pay for the new contract. It says more than £2.4 million has already been set aside, with £4.9 million coming from existing council funds – including uncommitted New Homes Bonus and the Corporate Investment Funds.
