MORE than £800,000 will be spent on improving Colchester’s recycling equipment.

The money has been earmarked in the council’s capital spending programme, which sets out the authority’s planned large investments.

The equipment, which includes machines to ‘bale’ mixed plastics, will mean the council should be able to increase the income it makes from selling on recyclables.

There are also plans to invest in technology which would automatically sort and bale aluminium drink cans from steel food cans, which are collected from households together.

Sorted products can command higher prices from contractors bidding to buy recyclables.

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