New waste service launching this autumn

From Monday 27th November 2023, Basildon Council will introduce black wheelie bins and reusable sacks for all households in the Basildon Borough.

Distribution will begin mid-September and every household will receive a 180-litre black wheeled bin for non-recyclable residual waste. The two-weekly collection will replace your weekly black sack service. We are introducing black wheeled bins to significantly increase the amount of waste in the borough being recycled and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

Households will also receive two reusable sacks - one white for plastics and cans and the other blue for paper and cardboard, which will replace your weekly pink sack service. The new reusable sacks, which are collected every week, will separate recycling to meet new government legislation, and are carefully designed to not only secure your waste effectively but also to be durable and sustainable, ensuring long-lasting benefits for our environment.

Councillor Kevin Blake, Cabinet Member for Environment, Carbon Reduction and Waste Enforcement said

“I am pleased we have made the decision to introduce black wheelie bins and reusable sacks - the new services aim to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfill by 25%, a massive reduction in the amount of emissions the borough produced by its waste. This will be a massive step towards reaching the Council’s 65% recycling rate target by 2035.

“Residents told us they were in favour of wheelie bins during consultations in summer 2022 and winter 2023. The new containers will reduce the amount of litter on our streets through reducing split bags, and will encourage residents to change behaviour and recycle their waste. If residents recycle all they can, there should be very little left to go to landfill.

“The larger reusable sacks eliminate the need for single-use pink plastic bags. These reusable sacks are designed to stay grounded, reducing the risk of litter and promoting a greener environment. This removes 10 million single use plastic bags from production every year. We will keep residents updated on their new containers and how to use them ahead of launch in November.”

Residents are being asked to store their new bin until the new service begins. Waste and recycling services remain the same until Monday 27th November 2023.

There are no additional charges for this service.

Find out more here www.basildon.gov.uk/collectionchanges

Regular information will be shared in the coming months - stay up to date by signing up to our free email newsletter at www.basildon.gov.uk/keepintouch

For updates and reminders on your waste and recycling service, download the free Our Streets Basildon www.basildon.gov.uk/ourstreets

FireCar

FireCar is a road safety programme aimed at engaging and educating road users.

Our FireCar is an Audi S3 performance car generously donated by Group 1 Automotive. This valuable partnership allows our road safety team to engage with our target audience which primarily (although not necessarily exclusively) is young 18 - 35 year old performance car (‘cruiser car’) enthusiasts, who are amoung the highestrisk road user groups. FireCar is a unique programme in Essex to directly engage with this target audience.

Essex has significant and growing issues with street racing activities, which have required Police enforcement activities. These activities are a risk not only to the drivers but also to others who often gather in significant numbers to watch.

FireCar has provided the opportunity to positively engage and educate these road users, using the publicly respected and trusted Essex County Fire and Rescue Service brand.

The purpose of the FireCar is to attract the interest of road users (predominantly male) who aspire to own this kind of vehicle, to start a discussion about the car and its potential performance and then to educate and inform the audience about risk and consequences while driving on the roads.

The FireCar is used with the intention of achieving a genuine two-way dialogue with drivers, passengers and event spectators and influencing behaviour around the following messages:

• Being a responsible driver

• Understanding risk and consequence

• Sharing the road

• Avoiding inappropriate road behaviour

• Preventing anti-social and dangerous driving

If you are holding an event and would like our FireCar to attend, please contact our road safety team at rtc.reduction@essex-fire.gov.uk

As a leading domestic glass replacement company for more than 16 years, Cloudy2Clear windows are the leading name in the industry. There is no need for you to risk your windows by using the dreaded double glazing cowboy down the street. You can join over 336,000 happy customers and replace your glass ethically and affordably. If you have a failed glass unit, it may not provide you with the protection you need or be as energy-efficient as it once was. Take a minute to check your home to see if any double glazing has failed? Taking action now can prevent future financial problems.

When talking to the Manager of Cloudy2Clear windows Chris Miller it became clear that these values have been held dear for a number of years. Since starting the business some years ago Cloudy2Clear have remained true to their core values of supporting the local community by providing a service that saves the public money.

The Cloudy2Clear service only requires the glass to be replaced and not the whole window once the unit has failed. Chris commented “Cloudy2Clear were able to assist our community through the last savings that can be made in using our service. Unfortunately we might be going through something similar again soon and the public can rest assured that we will be there to help once again”.

For a free quotation please call 0800 61 21 118 or visit www. cloudy2clear.co.uk.