28/08/2026
Recycling and waste changes coming to more Colchester homes this September
Around 18,000 households across Colchester will be included in the next phase of improvements to recycling and waste collections, beginning in September.
If your household currently uses bags for rubbish and recycling collections, your service may be changing.
Most affected households will move to a new service that includes:
♻️ A recycling wheeled bin (black bin with a green lid) for paper, cardboard, plastics, tins and cans
🗑️ A wheeled bin for your rubbish (if you do not already have one)
🍎 Food waste collections in your caddy and glass recycling in your box will continue separately.
New bins and an information leaflet will be delivered before the new service starts. The leaflet will explain what goes where and when collections will begin.
Not every property is suitable for wheeled bins, so some households will continue to use bags based on the council's approved assessment criteria.
Residents can check what service applies to their address and when any changes will take place by using the online service checker:
🔗 colchester.gov.uk/check-my-service/
The rollout will continue in phases across the city until March 2027.
