Winter support

Colchester Borough Council is providing support for residents, businesses and communities throughout winter.

Black Bags - FAQs

TEST: FAQ

A summary of the recent changes affecting black bags that started on the 20th of June

The cost of black bags including when we stopped delivering the free ones and when we delivered the clear bags for recycling.
It includes information on why we decided to stop delivering free black bags.
It includes information on when the fortnightly collection of your black bags started.
It includes information about the changes to your collection day and the changes to missed collections.

How much does it cost to buy black bags?

A roll of 45 bags, of the same size and quality that we have issued, can be bought from Poundland.

It costs £2 to buy two rolls which would last you for the whole year. Plus you get more sacks than if we had provided them.

The maximum size of black bag that can be used is 60 litres.

When did you stop delivering black bags?

We made a decision to stop delivering black bags in 2017 due to the new recycling changes.

Black bags can be bought from a number of local retailers.

Will you continue to deliver clear bags?

Free clear bags will continue to be delivered once a year.

Deliveries started on Tuesday, 2 May and finished on Friday 26 May.

They are also available from your local Collection Points.

Can I use clear bags for general rubbish?

No. We will only collect general rubbish from black bags.

Why did you decide to stop delivering free black bags?

There were two main reasons:

The cost - we will save around £100,000.
We wanted to encourage everyone to recycle more.

When did fortnightly collections of my black bags start?

They started on the 20th of June.

We sent information direct to all households and there is information on our website.

Has my collection day for recycling and rubbish stayed the same?

There has been a change of collection day for 18% of households so if you are unsure what day we collect from your home or if you are new to the area and need to find out, you can enter your postcode here to check.

A new recycling calendar was posted through your door in June 2017.

We also sent information about the new wheelie bin scheme to the households affected.

Your collection day may of changed if you live in a flat and have a black bag or new wheelie bin kerbside collection.

Euro Wheelie Bin

Remember: If you live in a flat and have a communal recycling and rubbish collection using large Euro wheeled bins then these changes will not apply to you.