Rochford council needs £400K to start food waste collections

A district council has said it needs £400,000 from external funders to make sure it can introduce separate food waste collections by the end of the year.

Rochford is one of two districts in Essex where food and garden waste are still mixed and collected together.

Essex County Council had indicated it would help with the extra cost, but the arrangement has not been finalised.

The council has now bought four food waste collection lorries.

Councils across the country are trying to meet a deadline of March 2026 for the introduction of separate food waste collections.

Rochford and Epping are the only two districts left in Essex where food and garden waste are mixed and collected together, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Rochford District Council had hoped to introduce the new service last autumn, but it proved to be difficult to get hold of specialist food waste lorries.

The council's new start date is dependent upon £400,000 being secured from either the county council or the government for additional expenses, such as delivering food caddies to every household.

An Essex County Council spokesman said it was already providing £575,000 a year for food waste collection but added: "We are currently in discussions with the council about the potential for additional support."

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and X. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]