Colchester's recycling rate is up but there is still a long way to go

In the last year, the amount of waste which is recycled or reused has jumped by 1.8 per cent, to 41.9 per cent.

The borough is the only north Essex authority to see an increase, but it is still second last, in front of Tendring, in the Essex-wide recycling table.

Bosses have put the increase down to a 60 to 70 per cent uptake in food waste recycling, which was rolled out across the borough last year, but they argue there is still more to come.

Matthew Young, head of waste services at Colchester Council, said: “We are certainly getting what we predicted, but we would like to see 100 per cent in terms of the food waste.

“We would be looking forward to next year’s results because it will be one full year of food waste.”

Mr Young also said the recycling target for the borough is still 50 per cent, but he recognised how difficult it will be to meet because the public is using less packaging and less paper, so councils are finding it hard to wrack up tonnage.

He added: “Our target for next year is 48 per cent but unfortunately there is no doubt that people are still putting cans and bottles in black sacks instead of recycling them, which holds us back.

“There is between 20 and 25 per cent who do not seem to be recycling much at all.”

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