Epping Forest Council has apologised to residents for 'unacceptable' levels of missed bin collections - but has pledged to improve the service.
The council said issues with domestic waste and recycling collections have been compounded by a poor performance from contractor Biffa over Christmas and New Year.
Cold and icy weather in December made the problems worse, it said.
Nigel Avey, councillor responsible for contracts at Epping Forest Council, said: 'Individually, our refuse crews work incredibly hard.
'It'r a very tough job which few people choose to do, and it's important to separate the good work of individual people from the underlying problems with the contract.
He added: 'Council staff are working night and day to try to improve Biffa's performance.
'Among the issues over Christmas were vehicles reaching capacity before the end of rounds, with no time to collect the remaining properties after unscheduled tipping.
'Punctures and breakdowns caused further delays, alongside high levels of staff and agency staff absence.'
