Dangerous items such as gas bottles, asbestos, hazardous chemicals, needles and syringes must not be disposed of in your household rubbish bin or in the general rubbish bins at recycling centre; these items pose a serious risk to the health of recycling centre workers who handle waste up close.

Cllr Simon Walsh, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Waste, said, “We no longer landfill our general waste; it is shredded then sorted by machine and by hand before being treated.

“In spite of our best efforts to remove them before they reach the shredder, there is the very real possibility of a gas canister exploding in close proximity to our workers or staff inadvertently handling dangerous and hazardous waste.

“At this time of year in particular the use of gas canisters increases massively, so I want to make this warning absolutely clear.”

Residents visiting recycling centres are urged to separate pressurised containers such as gas canisters or cylinders and give them to a member of site staff who will dispose of them in a safe and appropriate way.

More information on disposing of hazardous waste can be found on: recycleforessex.com.