COUNCILLORS have defied orders to make residents separate their waste.

Castle Point Council has gone against EU rules which recommend authorities should collect paper, glass, plastic and metals separately.

Atameeting this week, councillors raised concerns collecting rubbish separately would lead to more vans on the already busy roads.

Norman Smith, councillor responsible for waste management, said the current system which sees households recycle glass separately from paper, plastics and metal, was “fast and efficient”.

He said: “We would have more vehicles on our roads for a lot longer collecting all the recycling.

I think personally that it would be a disaster and recycling levels would drop.

“Right now, people put it all in one bag and it’s collected. Waste going in the wrong bin would mean recycling would fall.”

The council employed consultants Plan B Management Solutions to look at whether it would be able to collect all of the rubbish separately.

They said it is “not technically, economically or environmentally practicable” to follow the EU rules.

Mr Smith added: “I think we should carry on the waywe are for now. That is the way I think we get the most recycling.

“We are at a high rate, second only to Rochford, which has separate bins and roads clogged up with dust carts – I don’t think that’s what we want in this small borough.”

Mr Smith also confirmed residents who have been issued with faulty green sacks for their garden waste will be able to get replacements from the council.