Southend-on-Sea City Council has awarded SUEZ recycling and recovery UK an initial eight-year contract to provide recycling, waste, and street cleansing services.

 

Starting from 05 April 2025, SUEZ will manage recycling and waste collections for the 85,000 households across the city, alongside the two household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) and street cleansing.

Part of the global SUEZ group, SUEZ recycling and recovery UK employs over 6,500 people, operating across hundreds of sites, and handles approximately 11 million tonnes of waste materials every year – a significant proportion of the UK’s total waste. Through collection, treatment, recycling and logistics operations, it serves more than 30,000 business customers and millions of householders throughout the country.

In your community

Volunteering opportunities

The Southend-on-Sea Community Liaison Group provides a platform for residents and community groups to share news, ideas, and feedback about the services SUEZ operates across the city.

 

Comprising local residents and organisations, the group meets four times a year, offering a valuable opportunity to contribute to the ongoing improvement of Southend’s waste and recycling services.

 

We are currently finalizing the date for the next meeting and will update this page once it is confirmed. Members will also be notified directly.

 

We welcome new members and would love to hear your thoughts! If you're a local resident or represent a community group and would like to get involved, please get in touch through the form below.

Southend Litter Champions are volunteers that help tidy the streets, parks and beaches of Southend-on-Sea. 


You can do this independently, set up a group or join one of the existing groups around our city. 


Whether it’s 10 minutes a day on your commute, 30 minutes a week at the park, or an occasional hour at the beach - you can make a difference!

 

What are the benefits of becoming a Litter Champion?

  • Satisfaction of seeing your area clear of litter
  • Taking part in positive actions to improve your local environment
  • Being linked to a community of like-minded and environmentally-conscious people
  • Helping to encourage responsible behaviour around litter
  • Helping to prevent plastics entering the wider environment and potentially polluting our seas

 

Interested?

Go to Get in touch to register your interest to receive updates on the scheme.

 

We can lend you a Southend Litter Champion kit that includes a litter picker, bag hoop, bags and a high-vis jacket.
We will give you training and support.

 

Helping to make Southend a better place for us all has never been easier!

 

Southend litter champions - Beach clean 

 

Southend litter champions - Litter

 

 

Community and environmental improvement projects

Recognising the important role the community of Southend has in meeting recycling targets To deliver our aim of increased recycling rates and maintaining an attractive street scene in Southend-on-Sea, SUEZ recognises the important role that the community has. We will work with the community to achieve these. If you would like to know how SUEZ could work with your community, please contact us. There are a number of different groups working for the good of the City.

 

  • Make Southend Sparkle - Make Southend Sparkle is about taking pride and positive action to improve your local area. Volunteer your time to make positive changes where you live.
  • Prittle Brook Community - The Prittle Brook Community Group collects litter along the pathway that follows the Prittle Brook.
  • Southend BeachCare - Southend BeachCare Group encourages local communities to take pride in their environment organising beach cleans at locations along the Estuary, from Shoebury East Beach to Two Tree Island.
  • Thames 21 - Whether it’s the Thames or one of its many tributaries, we offer inspiring ways for communities to get down to their local riverbank. Our aim is to rebuild the relationship between communities and their rivers.
  • Southend in transition - Where you can learn how to grow food, look after your garden, take fresh produce home, meet new people over a shared meal and exchange ideas on how to help the community thrive.
  • Trust Links - Trust Links is a local mental health and wellbeing charity committed to supporting people experiencing mental health problems, building stronger communities and promoting sustainable living.
  • St Laurence and Eastwood Action Group - Community Litter Picking mainly Saturday mornings 10.30am-12.30pm around the area. Equipment will be provided.


Education activities

We are dedicated to keeping the community informed and engaged on all things recycling and waste!

 

In the coming months, we will be hosting events to introduce the new enhanced recycling scheme launching on 27 October 2025. Key changes include the transition to alternate weekly collections and the rollout of wheelie bins for most households.

 

Once our event schedule is finalized, we will update this page with full details.

News from Southend-on-Sea

Get in touch

If something’s gone wrong, please let us know so we can fix it. If something we’ve done has impressed you, please tell us so we can congratulate the relevant people. If you have any questions, we’d be happy to answer them – we’d also be delighted to consider any comments or suggestions you may have.

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