Published 18th December 2020

With the festive season approaching, Southend Council and their recycling and waste contractor Veolia are encouraging residents to think green and do Earth a favour over this festive season. Most of the seasonal items such as Christmas cards, cardboard and wrapping paper can all be added to your blue box, whereas sweet tins, glass jars and drinks bottles are 100% recyclable and should be added to your pink sacks, along with your usual plastic recycling.

Leftover food can be frozen for use on another day. You can find some delicious leftovers’ recipes on www.lovefoodhatewaste.com. Any unavoidable food waste, like turkey carcasses, vegetable peelings and all other cooked or uncooked food waste can be recycled using your blue food waste bin.

Veolia will be collecting recycling and waste on an amended timetable over Christmas and New Year – see the post above this one.

Residents can also get their real Christmas trees collected for free, but please remember to remove all decorations. Real Christmas trees will be collected from Tuesday 5 January to Friday 29 January 2021. Please leave on the edge of your property.

For those who are already signed up to the garden waste collection service, Veolia will collect the tree on their scheduled collection day.

Residents are also reminded that bulky waste should be taken to either of the household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) within the Borough. Alternatively, a bulky waste collection can be arranged by calling Veolia on 0203 567 6955, or visiting www.southend.gov.uk/bulkywaste

PLEASE DO NOT FLY TIP. Fly-tipping is always antisocial and takes time to clear up – it takes even longer over Christmas and New Year. To report fly-tipping please use ‘My Southend’ https://my.southend.gov.uk