Redbridge has suspended its recycling collection because of a shortage of staff, and is asking households to put out rubbish bags for collection by 5am on their normal collection day.
A message from council leader Councillor Jas Athwal said: “We have had to make the difficult decision to stop collecting recycling and concentrate on household rubbish because we no longer have enough drivers and staff available to carry out all the rubbish and recycling collections safely. Sadly, many of our rubbish and recycling staff are having to self-isolate due to the Government COVID-19 national guidance.”
Garden waste collections have also been suspended, and residents who are suffering from COVID-19 are being given special instructions about how to deal with their household waste.
These details from the Redbridge website:
What time do we need to have household rubbish and recycling out on the day of collection
We are asking that your household rubbish and recycling is presented together in bags or a bin if part of the wheelie bin pilot by 5am.
Why are you starting collections so early?
To comply as much as we are able with the social distancing guidance issued by the government, we are splitting crews where possible, and limiting the time that they are in close contact with each other, to keep them as safe as we can.
Do I need to do anything different with my rubbish if I have COVID-19 symptoms?
Yes, please double-bag your rubbish, especially bags containing tissues.
Will my recycling be kept separate?
If you are unable to store recycling at home until normal collections resume and you put recycling out for collection it will be put into the waste truck, along with your household rubbish. We will resume recycling collections as soon as we are able.
How do I present my Recycling?
Please put your recycling in black bags or your existing recycling boxes by 5am. If you have space, you can hold onto recycling until the service resumes, and we will collect it when recycling collections start again.
Can we put recycling in black bags
During this time, you will be able to bag up your recycling with your rubbish – when the service returns to normal you can revert to boxes. If you use your boxes to present your recycling during this period, it will be put in the waste truck along with your rubbish.
Will any of the rubbish be recycled?
During this period, recycling will be very limited. Please rest assured that your recycling will not end up in a landfill or be an environmental threat in the oceans – it will be processed through Renewi’s Mechanical Biotic Treatment Plant into refuse-derived fuel brickets to be used in specialised Energy from Waste plants.
What should I do with my Garden Waste?
Please make every effort to compost where you can. We are not in a position to be able to collect garden waste at the moment and are prioritising the collection of household rubbish.
Will my day of collection change?
No. Your day of collection should remain the same as before.
Will the refuse collectors collect all of my rubbish?
Every effort will be made to ensure all of your rubbish is collected. Please help us by doing all you can to assist, by minimising your rubbish as much as possible.
I’m part of the wheelie bin trial. What happens if we can’t fill all of your rubbish and recycling in the wheelie bin?
If you’re part of the wheelie bin, we will collect additional rubbish if you place it a black sack next to your bin, whilst the recycling service is temporarily suspended.