New rules confirmed for larger and shared wheelie bins in Southend

Southend-on-Sea residents can now apply for larger wheelie bins as part of the city’s new waste collection scheme.

After months of anticipation, Southend City Council has confirmed that households meeting certain criteria can request larger 240-litre wheeled bins, replacing the standard 180-litre versions that have already been delivered to most homes.

Eligible households include:

• Families with six or more permanent occupants
• Families with two or more children in nappies
• Households where one or more adults use incontinence pads
• Homes with a medical need that produces high volumes of non-recyclable waste

The council has also said it will consider other extenuating circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

Applications for the larger bins are open now, with successful households having bins swapped from 6 October. Residents are advised to leave their current bins in an accessible place on the day of the swap.

Cllr Lydia Hyde, cabinet member for climate, environment and waste, said:
“We will review applications, and if found to be eligible, bins will be swapped out from the 6th October. Please leave your current 180L bins in an accessible location for the crews to switch them.”

Flats now allowed to share bins

In addition to larger bins for families, the council has confirmed new options for flats, aimed at reducing the clutter of multiple bins on converted properties.

• Two or more flats can now share a full set of 240-litre bins.
• Three or more flats may apply for larger 360-litre bins or communal bins.

This change is intended to help residents living in converted houses where multiple bins often line the front of properties.

However not everyone thinks it’s a good idea. Maria Gunner said: “I live in a house that’s converted into two flats. I will refuse to share the bins unless they reduce my council tax by half.”

Southend residents continue to be divided over the new bins

The rollout of the wheelie bins continues to prompt mixed responses across the city.

• Carrie Reeve said: “Why didn’t they just give the bigger bins to the houses that have 2 flats in and they can share a bin, instead of 6 bins outside there property?”
• Robin French said: “I’m looking forward to watching the bin men trying to get the bins between all the parked cars…!”
• Joanne Clark said: “I don’t know why they had to be so brightly coloured on the tops – I get that they need to be clearly marked but if they all had black tops they’d at least blend in a bit better as they stick up above most walls etc! So many roads are now a total eyesore.”
• Jaki Barnstable said: “I need smaller bins suitable for a single person. Is anyone allowed to go back to black sacks instead of the new Southend wheelie bins?”

All homes receiving bins are being served with a legal Section 46 notice under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This requires residents to keep their bins on their property and use them as instructed.

Those who believe their home is unsuitable for wheelie bins can apply for a council review. Officers may authorise a return to sack collections in cases where properties have no frontage, limited access, or shared alleyways.

New bin cleaning company launches in Southend to prevent maggots and bad smells

With fortnightly general waste collections now in place, concerns about hygiene and odours have grown. In response, a new Southend-based business, BIN 2 CLEAN, has launched offering professional bin cleaning.

The service was set up by a local entrepreneur, who said:
“The new 14-day gap between general waste bin collections are a recipe for disaster that can quickly spiral out of control if ignored. Which is why we have a flat rate for our services based on either a monthly or yearly subscription. Everything we do is based on getting bins hygienically clean and keeping them that way permanently.”

He added:
“We know not everyone is excited about the prospect of having 3x new wheelie bins arriving on their doorstep and the unglamorous job of keeping them clean between the new FORTNIGHTLY Council kerbside collections – so we’re here to offer our professional support if you want to effortlessly eliminate the stink, the flies, maggots, bin juice & bacteria from your doorstep! We clean kerbside on your regular collection day, texting before and after each visit.

Our 360° high-pressure jet wash using eco-friendly disinfectant kills 99.9% of bacteria, while all wastewater stays safely aboard our Environment-Agency-approved custom wheelie bin truck.”

The company operates a five-step cleaning process which includes:

• Exterior jet washing
• Interior deep clean and eco-disinfectant spray
• Long-lasting deodoriser application
• Antibacterial wipe down on handles
• Return of the sanitised bin to the property

BIN 2 CLEAN says its subscription service is designed to provide consistent cleaning at a low cost. More details are available on their website, including great-value launch offers: www.bin2clean.com