New rules on recycling to kick in next year are forcing Thurrock Council to change their 'co-mingled' bins' policy.

Head of environment Mike Heath warned the Cleaner, Greener, Safer Scrutiny Committee last night that mixed bins may need to go as new rules kick in.

From January 1 2016 all waste collectors in England and Wales will need to collect four separate waste streams – paper, metal, plastic and glass.

Various different options to replace the co-mingled bins have been put forward for the council.

  • Switching to fortnightly collections
  • Providing different receptacles for different recycling streams
  • Putting “splitters” or slots in the blue bins as well as using totally different collection vehicles, for example.

Mr Heath added a main concern came from broken glass bottles getting into the paper recycling stream.

He said: “The method we use would not pass the test and we are having to review our methodology, whether it should be weekly, whether there should be separate sorting, and we need a reasoned argument – if not there is a risk the Environment Agency could take action and we could be fined.”

The members also discussed how a review of services would be needed in 2017 as current contracts were up for renewal and much of the plant – such as the bin lorries – would be reaching the end of their lives.

Concerns over Thurrock's recycling services have been heightened by yesterday's Tilbury recycling plant closure and the need to transfer recycling to Canning Town.

The committee agreed officers should develop an options appraisal of collection and disposal methods to ensure compliance with the new regulations, and work out a way of moving towards compliance.

Officers should also report back on progress.