Street Cleaning, Recycling and Waste
Braintree District Council and the Parish Council work in partnership to keep the Parish looking clean, tidy and well maintained; to provide attractive and clean streets, neighbourhoods and open spaces; and to enhance the wellbeing and quality of life for all residents of and visitors
to the Parish.
The Aims of the Street Cleaning Agreement:
- To ensure that the local environment is maintained to the highest standards possible.
- To work in partnership to deliver a seamless service throughout the Parish to keep the streets and open spaces looking clean, tidy and well maintained.
- To actively encourage residents to take more pride in and ownership of their neighbourhoods through participation in community activities.
- To enhance the wellbeing and quality of life of residents living and working in the Parish.
- To ensure the partnership delivers real benefits at a local level and excellent value for money.
Channel Sweeping
To view the latest street sweeping schedule please click on the link below.
for Great Yeldham:
THU 16-Feb-23 WED 24-May-23 THU 24-Aug-23 FRI 24-Nov-23
https://www.braintree.gov.uk/parishsweeps
Please keep vehicles clear of kerbs so that sweepers have clear access to the road channels. The sweeper has a programmed route concentrating on main highways where there are kerbs.
Food Waste
Many residents do not recycle their food waste, despite the fact that this is collected weekly. This waste is processed using anaerobic digestion which not only produces compost and fertilizer, but also provides a source of energy to power our homes. No amount of food waste is too small to recycle – every little helps. It would be greatly appreciated if your Council would include key waste and recycling messages in its newsletter/magazine to residents (space permitting) to supplement the advisory information we send out with our collection calendars.
Mixed Dry Recycling
The quality of recycling collected in the Braintree District is very high and the majority of the residents separate items very carefully. However, we know that there is still confusion about what items can/cannot be recycled and every month our crews report sacks contaminated with nappies, food, glass and polystyrene. If this goes unchecked, it can result in a whole vehicle load being rejected by the processing plant which is a huge waste of everyone’s time and effort in sorting their waste. We have therefore published a list of what items can/can’t be recycled and this can be found on our website using the link below.
Recycling Sacks
The Parish Office holds a small supply of recycling sacks, contact the Clerk. You can also collect more sacks free of charge from:
- Your local Essex Library
- The Council office at Causeway House, Braintree, CM7 9HB
- Email us at csc@braintree.gov.uk
- Call the Clear Sack Request Line on 0800 074 8243
Electrical item recycling
Small WEEE is an electrical item that is small enough to fit inside a carrier bag. This could include things like electric toothbrushes, small radios, toasters or hairdryers.
Every year an estimated 2 million tonnes of WEEE items go to waste. All electrical waste contains chemicals, some of which are hazardous. If these are not treated correctly, they bring health risks as well as being harmful to the environment. Due to this, reuse or recycling is the preferred options for disposing of unwanted items.
We want to address the issue of climate change by reducing unnecessary waste. We can help you recycle your unwanted electrical items.
Small WEEE drop off locations
BDC are offering you a way to recycle your small waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment items. You can take these to convenient drop off points at specific times and locations across the district. The WEEE recycling collection vehicle will visit each location on a four weekly cycle on Wednesdays.
You can find your local drop off point and specific collection date on our calendar. MyNearest – Electrical Recycling Points – Please enter your address below (esriuk.com)
You should only bring your items to the location at the specified time. We treat any items left outside of these times as fly-tipping.
We encourage you to recycle other items when you visit a WEEE collection point if possible. This would include taking glass bottles, jars, textiles and food and drink cartons to one of our recycling centres. You could also visit a WEEE collection point if you pass it on a journey to do your food shopping.
If you cannot find a convenient drop off location, you can also take WEEE to some libraries in the district. Please check with your local library to see if they have reintroduced their collection following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.
Bulky waste collection service
For larger WEEE items, you can book a collection with our bulky waste service. These are items such as washing machines or tumble dryers.
As part of this service, you can also book up to four small WEEE items at no extra cost.
Waste Minimisation
In the UK, around 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away each day! As these break down over hundreds of years they will produce greenhouse gas which will contribute to global warming. This is without considering the environmental costs of their manufacture and transportation before they get to the shops. Cloth nappies are better for the environment and could save parents up to £1,000 if used in place of disposables, even taking laundry costs into account.
Essex County Council is offering a £30 refund per child on the purchase of any cloth nappies or laundering service. The nappies come in a variety of colours/styles and many are pre-shaped and fasten with poppers, grips or Velcro. Just £80 will kit out a baby with all the nappies they will need, although they can be bought second-hand online or hired from nappy libraries in Witham and Colchester. At the end of their useful life they can be recycled at a textile recycling bank.
For more information and to apply for a voucher, click on the link below: https://essex-self.achieveservice.com/service/Cloth_nappies_refund_claim
Resources and Waste Strategy for England
In 2019, the Government consulted on a new 25-year Waste Strategy (Resources and Waste Strategy for England) that sets ambitious plans for preserving the country’s stock of material resources by minimising waste, promoting resource efficiency and moving towards a circular economy, as well as minimising the damage to our natural environment by reducing and managing waste safely and tackling waste crime. The consultation covered four aspects of the Strategy:-
- Deposit Return Scheme
- Plastic Tax (on producers) Extended Producer Responsibility (reform of UK packaging system)
- Consistency (collection methodology)
The Government will consult further on their proposals once they have considered all of the feedback from the various local authorities, businesses and organisations representing the waste industry, but we expect them to have implications for waste collection authorities on how they collect household waste.
Verge Cutting
As last year, the District Council has been asked to undertake cutting of the rural verges on behalf of the County Council. This involves a Spring and Autumn cut (excluding ‘special’ verges) which will be undertaken in conjunction with our litter-picking teams to ensure that areas are left neat, tidy and litter-free.
Great British Spring Clean
For more information, please click on the link below. https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/get-involved/support-our-campaigns/great-british-spring-clean
Commercial Grounds Maintenance Service
They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression, so it pays businesses to make sure that their outside space is attractive and welcoming to visitors. Our grounds maintenance team are professionally qualified and experienced individuals who can offer regular or one-off services including grass cutting, planting and shrub bed maintenance. We would be more than happy to quote for any works your Council may require. For a free, no-obligation quote, call 01376 552525 or e-mail csc@braintree.gov.uk.
Commercial Waste Service
Anyone operating a business – whether from home or at a separate business premises – will need a commercial waste collection. The Council offers a reliable, efficient and cost-effective solution tailored to suit customers’ needs and can even help to reduce/recycle more of their waste, saving them money and reducing their carbon footprint into the bargain. Any local businesses wanting more information can contact our Customer Service Centre on 01376 552525 and ask to speak to a member of our Commercial Waste Team or they can get a free ‘no obligation’ quote by completing the on-line form at www/Braintree.gov.uk/cwquote
