Toggle menu

Cost of living support

Financial advice and emotional support on how you can ease the cost of living squeeze.

Take the One Bag a Week Challenge

This spring, we are challenging Uttlesford residents to reduce their general rubbish to just one bag a week. This challenge is for those whose grey-lidded general waste bins are collected on a Tuesday.
 

Are you up for the challenge?

1. Complete the opening survey about your waste habits. This is now closed.

2. Put one bag of general rubbish in your grey-lidded general waste bin each week. Use the tips in the guide for inspiration!

3. Complete the closing survey after the challenge is over on 20 May 2025. This will let us know whether you have reduced your waste.

Completing both surveys will enter you into a prize draw. Two lucky winners will receive a Tiptree Tea Rooms voucher. The vouchers are for afternoon tea for two.

Can I recycle it?

To help you reduce your waste to one bag a week, use the Love Essex search function. Here, you can find out what items can be reused and recycled. 

Check out our webpages for more information on recycling and food recycling.


 

Why take part?

Reducing your waste is one of the simplest ways you can look after the environment. Currently, over 55% of general rubbish in Uttlesford could be recycled. This is a lot! Not only is general rubbish harmful to the environment, but it is also expensive to manage. If we all reduce our waste and recycled a little bit more, those savings from disposal costs could be used to fund other vital services.

Are you up for the challenge? Why not keep to one bag a week even after the challenge is over? Together we can reduce waste in Uttlesford one bag at a time.

This challenge was inspired by VEOLIA's One Bag a Week challenge in collaboration with Southwark Council and Southend-on-Sea City Council.

Top tips to get started

Here are our tips to reduce your waste.

Prevent

Waste prevention is the highest priority (think reduce, reuse, recycle) so it should always be the first thing you consider.

Reuse

After waste prevention, the next best option is reuse and repair.

Recycle

By recycling your leftover food you not only reduce the environmental impact but create resources such as energy and fertiliser.
See more (Go to Top tips to get started)

What happens to your recycling and waste in Essex?

Share this page

Facebook icon Twitter icon email icon

Print

print icon