Basildon Council has launched a consultation for residents on new waste collections which received 2,036 responses in its first 24 hours.
The borough-wide consultation seeks residents’ views on the current waste and recycling service and possible future changes.
The consultation includes options to return to weekly collections for non-recyclable waste and changes to the collection of recyclable waste.
The 2,036 responses are almost eight times the number of responses to previous consultations on waste and a record for consultations launched by the council, the local authority said.
The previous consultation, which launched in January 2023, on non-recyclable waste collections received 261 responses in its first 24 hours.
The consultation will inform the final proposals for waste collection, which will be presented to the Council for approval later in the year.
Our residents have made it clear they are deeply, deeply unhappy with the present waste collection system.
Commenting on the consultation, Cllr Aidan McGurran, Cabinet Member for Environment and Leisure, said: “Our residents have made it clear they are deeply, deeply unhappy with the present waste collection system but it is very gratifying to see that this is already translating into levels of engagement we have never seen before.
“This is the residents’ opportunity to have their voices heard – on an issue we know they care passionately about. We are listening and we will act on what the consultation tells us. This is a completely genuine and transparent process.”
Basildon Council currently offers a fortnightly collection of general waste using black-wheeled bins, a weekly collection of recyclable materials using reusable bags, and a weekly collection of food waste using green/grey caddies.
The Council also provides a weekly paid collection of garden waste using green wheeled bins, a fortnightly collection of glass using the orange box, and a paid collection of bulky items such as furniture and large appliances.
