Colchester Tesco supermarket recycling bins removed

The Tesco supermarket in Greenstead, Colchester, was previously home to recycling bins where residents could drop off items like food and drink cartons which are not collected by the city council.

Colchester Council was responsible for the bins and Tesco says the authority is also responsible for their removal.

A spokesman for the council, however, says it was the retailer’s call to remove the bins after concerns were raised about flytipping.

Supermarket - Tesco in Greenstead Road (Image: John Myers)

Colchester Council said: “The recycling banks have been removed at the request of the landowner, Tesco, as they said they experienced significant and ongoing abuse of the recycling area at their store in Greenstead Road, alongside large quantities of non-recycling waste being flytipped at the site.

“There are a number of alternative recycling facilities available in the nearby area, and most residents in the city are able to make use of the fortnightly kerbside recycling collections or textiles, cans and glass."

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Abberton resident Sue Bowles, an “enthusiastic recycler”, says the move has left her “struggling to keep cartons out of landfill” and that recycling bins elsewhere are often overflowing.

“The council does not doorstep recycle these items so I am left with no option but to put them in my black bag waste,” the Peldon Road resident said.

Colchester Council says Tesco asked for the recycling bins to be removed because of concerns over flytipping (Image: Photo by Rivage on Unsplash)

Greenstead councillor Julie Young has committed to meeting with supermarket bosses to find a resolution.

She said: “This just needs to be resolved. I know there are recycling facilities at Tesco in Highwoods but that’s no consolation for people who live in the east of Colchester who want to recycle.

“The ward councillors will be meeting with Tesco to discuss this further because we understand the bins were removed at Tesco’s request. The council wants to encourage recycling.

“People are building up supplies of Tetra Paks and encouraging them to drive from one side of town to the other is not really in the spirit of improving climate change during a climate emergency.”

The supermarket in Greenstead Road still has a clothing recycling point.

Tesco was asked to clarify its position but had not responded at the time of publication.