In the News: Successful Crunch Saturday results in impressive record breaking 114.39 tonnes of rubbish collected
Records were broken when the popular waste collection service The Crunch, saw a whopping record breaking 114.39 tonnes of waste collected - more than the least two Crunch events combined.
The Crunch took place across Basildon's main towns on Saturday, 29 March, offering residents the chance to clear out bulky items and dispose of accumulated waste — all at no cost.
The event was held across six locations, with the council's refuse crews assisting residents in ensuring their waste was disposed of properly and responsibly.
This was the first Crunch of the year, following three successful events in 2024. A total of 114.39 tonnes of waste was collected during Saturday's event, comprising: 21 tonnes of wood, 10.54 tonnes of metal, 5.66 tonnes of electrical waste, and 77.19 tonnes of non-recyclable materials.
Basildon Council remains dedicated to providing efficient and sustainable waste and recycling services throughout the borough.
Cllr Aidan McGurran, Cabinet Member for Environment and Leisure, commented:
"The first Crunch service of the year was a huge success, and it was fantastic to see so many residents getting involved and taking pride in their communities. We're especially grateful to those who helped their neighbours access the service. During Saturday's event alone, we collected 114.39 tonnes of waste - more than we did in the last two Crunch events combined.
"Residents have told us they want this valuable service to continue, and we've listened. I'm proud to say we're delivering on that promise and more. This is just the beginning of our efforts to improve waste collection, and we're excited to kick off weekly waste collections starting on 28 April."
A special thanks was also extended to the dedicated waste team for their hard work in assisting residents and ensuring proper disposal of their waste.
The Crunch service was funded by each of the council's Area Committees in Basildon, Billericay, Laindon and Lee Chapel North, Pitsea, Westley Heights, and Wickford.
The Crunch service is part of a larger initiative to improve waste management in the borough. For regular updates on the council's waste and recycling services, residents can sign up for the free weekly e-newsletter at www.basildon.gov.uk/keepintouch
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Published 1 April 2025.