What we are doing to reduce waste in Essex

The best environmental approach to waste management is to apply the principles of the waste hierarchy. Here are some examples of what we've already been doing to reduce waste and increase reuse and recycling!
Keep checking back for more updates.

Hand placing a banana skin in a food recycling caddy.

Tackling food waste

In 2023, we worked together to tackle food waste. Roughly 25% of waste thrown away in the general rubbish bin is food. Throwing away food that could have been eaten adds £83 a month to the average food shopping bill. Not only is this a waste of money but it also damages the environment. Funded and delivered by the partnership, households in Essex received support to reduce food waste and recycle more. 

Through the year-long Love Essex, Love Food campaign, we provided ideas and inspiration to help residents reduce food waste at home. We are also in the process of providing a roll of free caddy liners and an information leaflet to increase the proportion of food waste being recycled. In addition to this, we have secured long-term treatment options for separately collected food recycling, so we can generate renewable energy from this waste.

Hand placing a plastic bottle into a recycling bin.

Plastic recycling

In January 2023, Maldon District Council launched a pilot for the collection of plastic bags and wrapping as part of normal recycling collections. Plastics such as plastic bags, confectionary wrappers, foil-lined packaging, plastic film, bubble wrap, pet food pouches and more were collected from eligible households.

The trial has proven to be extremely successful, with roughly 12,500 properties included.

The funding for the existing trial has come to an end but those households that were taking part in the trial can continue to recycle their plastic bags and wrappings with their usual recycling collection.

Maldon District Council intend to expand the trial to all households in the district soon.

This trial has made recycling plastic bags and wrapping more convenient, increased the amount of plastic packaging recycled and reduced the amount of plastics being thrown away.

Two people holding shoes, tin and teddy baking mold.

Freegle

The Essex Waste Partnership has funded and promoted the provision of an online platform for reuse that enables residents to give and get items for free.

With over 100,000 members in Essex, this initiative helped households swap over 11,000 items from April 2024 to March 2025.

Hands filling a bag from refill shop dispensers.

Love Essex Fund

Through microgrants and promotional activity, we have supported local organisations, individuals and schools with projects that create or inspire a reduction in household waste.

We have provided microgrants to nearly 200 community recycling projects and schools. Refill shops, clothes swaps and repair services across the county are just some of the activities that have received support.

These initiatives help and inspire people and communities to reduce their waste and be more sustainable.

Green recycling logo around the BorrowBox logo on a background of crumpled paper.

Reading materials

In January 2025, we launched the 'Love Essex, Go Green' collection of e-books and e-audiobooks, in collaboration with Essex Libraries and BorrowBox.

The specially curated collection provides the opportunity for Essex residents to learn more about waste, recycling, and living a more sustainable lifestyle.

By the end of April 2025, these books had been borrowed over 1,200 times.

A map of Essex with blue pins showing the location of local furniture projects.

Reuse directory

In April 2025 we launched a new Reuse directory. This makes it quick and easy for residents to find local reuse organisations and charity shops that accept donations of large items of unwanted furniture or electrical appliances.

The directory was used over 1,000 times in the first month.

Chest of drawers with donate today label.

Reuse at recycling centres

We have worked with partners to extend the range of materials that residents can donate at recycling centres to be used again in the community. These include:

  • large electrical appliances can be donated to the Lighthouse Furniture Project at many sites. Donated items are repaired and refurbished before being passed on to individuals and families in need
  • community equipment provided by MedEquip, such as crutches and commodes, can now be returned to Clacton Recycling Centre to be used again
  • we are working with local charities in Tendring to give a new lease of life to items taken by residents to Clacton Recycling Centre
  • we have launched a Community RePaint scheme at Witham, Saffron Walden and Canvey recycling centres, where residents and community groups can pick up free paint that has been donated at the recycling centres
Two large, grey containers each with a rectangular sign above them. The white sign on the left says, “Recycle with Podback, The Pod Recycling Service: Aluminium Coffee Pods”. The turquoise sign on the right says, “Recycle with Podback, The Pod Recycling Service: Plastic Coffee Pods”.

Increasing recycling

We have extended the range of materials accepted for recycling at recycling centres: 

  • in May 2024, rigid plastic recycling was introduced to eight recycling centres. This has now been extended to 15 sites
  • in September 2024, we partnered with Podback to provide residents a convenient way to recycle their used coffee, tea, and hot chocolate pods

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