COUNCILLORS in Basildon have agreed to consult with residents on the remaining areas of household waste collection in order to meet the borough's recycling and climate change targets.

Members of the Leisure and Environment Committee met last night (Monday, 31 January) to note the adoption of the Environment Act, which became law last year.

They also agreed to consult with residents on a number of other recommendations around the way Basildon manages residual (black sack) and bulky waste items. Members were also asked to note the progress towards the introduction of digital technologies to support the objectives of the council's waste strategy.

Members noted the progress of the cross-party working group on waste, who reviewed the way in which bulky and residual wastes can impact the borough's environmental performance, as well as affect levels of litter across the borough.

Chairman of the Leisure and Environment Committee Cllr Craig Rimmer said: "Our Waste Member Working Group have been looking at how waste services contribute greatly towards our carbon footprint and the look and feel of the area. Members have been reviewing our services and we know that we have to do a lot more to increase recycling rates and reduce all of our environmental impacts.

"At present on average a staggering 988kg of waste is produced per borough household. That's the weight of a car. If we are to meet our carbon net-zero objectives and our target of a 65% recycling rate by 2035 we must act now, and we will need the support of every resident of the borough to get there.

"This year we are moving to separate food and garden waste collections as part of our overarching waste strategy so looking at our other services is the next step in that. We are committed to keeping a weekly waste collection service. We will be consulting with our residents on the options available to us to gather understanding so that we can take an approach that works for the borough."

According to recent material composition analysis, around 62 per cent of materials in black sacks could be recycled through existing collection schemes with a third of this being food waste. At present the high amounts of food waste in black sacks contributes to cleansing issues, including ripped sacks, litter and vermin.