FURIOUS residents have slammed Basildon’s new rubbish collection scheme claiming it almost impossible to “sort waste into six different bins and bags”. 

Under Basildon’s Council new waste scheme, which is aimed at improving poor recycling rates across the borough, residents will be expected to split their rubbish into six different sections.

Previously, recycling was collected weekly in pink sacks, but now residents will have to sort their recyclable rubbish into two sacks - one for plastics and cans and the other for paper and cardboard. 

On top of that, residents will have a black bin for non-recyclable rubbish, an orange box for glass bottles and jars, a green garden waste bin and a grey food waste bin. 

Now, a petition is running calling for council to reverse the plan and move back to a pink sack service and weekly black bin collections, rather than fortnightly.

Steph Dean, who lives in Pitsea, said: “Basildon Council should revert back to the weekly pink sack service because the amount of black bags we see around our estate now is huge, let alone if it’s fortnightly.

“I live in a maisonette and have yet to get a message from the council as to how I’m supposed to lug a full wheelie bin up and down the stairs to my front door.

"Also, they want us to keep the reusable recycling bags dry, but how do I do that when I haven’t got space indoors for them, and all we have is a balcony?"

The petition added: “This takes up considerably more space and makes it impossible to sort waste inside the household prior to sorting to the outside bins.

“Even if plastics are sorted into their own new sacks, they still have to be sorted into colours and types, so nothing technically has changed in terms of what the council still have to do in terms of waste sorting.”

Tory council leader Andrew Baggott defended the scheme, insisting increasing recycling is vital.

He said: “If people say they’re going to have a lot of black sacks, they’re not recycling properly.

The government has said there needs to be six streams of waste disposal, and we’re following that, as well as ensuring the service is fit-for-purpose.

If residents have concerns or need help, they should get in touch with the council.”

To sign the petition, visit basildonmeetings.info/mgEPetitionListDisplay.aspx.