In the news: Successful Crunch service collects equivalent of 37 Ford Fiestas
The highly anticipated return of The Crunch was a huge success, collecting an impressive 48 tonnes of waste.
The popular waste collection service took place in Basildon Borough's main towns on Saturday 23 November, giving residents an opportunity to clear out any bulky items and dispose of accumulated rubbish - all for free. The council's refuse crews were on hand at all six locations, helping residents with their waste to ensure everything was disposed of responsibly.
Across the six locations, council crews collected 48 tonnes of waste - the equivalent of 37 Ford Fiestas, with an impressive 38% of it being recycled.
The return of the Crunch followed a successful initiative throughout July and August to clean up local estates. The Summer initiative supported thousands of residents and cleared 332 tonnes of waste - the equivalent of 30 double decker buses.
Basildon Council is committed to providing efficient and sustainable waste and recycling collection services across the borough.
Cllr Aidan McGurran, Cabinet Member for Environment and Leisure, said:"It was great to see everyone getting involved on Saturday, and what a turnout! It was brilliant to see family, friends, and neighbours coming together, it's a great example of the community spirit we want to see more of in Basildon. A special thank you to our incredible waste team for their hard work helping residents unload and dispose of their waste responsibly."
Each of the council's Area Committees supported the return of the Crunch - one in each area of Basildon, Billericay, Laindon and Lee Chapel North, Pitsea, Westley Heights and Wickford.
The Crunch service forms part of a larger programme of work to fix the bins. At a meeting of Basildon Council's Cabinet on Monday 11 November 2024, Councillors approved new disposable bags for recyclable materials and instructed officers to compile costs for weekly residual waste collections.
Councillors will discuss next steps for residual waste collections at an upcoming Cabinet Meeting.
For regular updates on the council's waste and recycling service, sign up to receive the free weekly e-newsletter at www.basildon.gov.uk/keepintouch
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Published 25 November 2024
Contact Basildon Council's Press Office at pressoffice@basildon.gov.uk for further information.