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Somerset Waste Partnership during Covid-19

Delay to Recycle More

Coronavirus is affecting the delivery of many key projects. Unfortunately, this includes the roll-out of the new Recycle More service which will eventually allow people to recycle more from their kerbside, notably considerably more plastic.

Regrettably, SWP has had to pause the introduction of Recycle More, which had been due to start in Mendip at the end of June (to be followed by South Somerset in September) because:

  • Impacts on staffing and supply chains mean that essential depot upgrading is being delayed, as is the delivery of new recycling containers – the big blue bags – that will be used to collect much of the new material.
  • The large-scale public engagement and communication that needs to take place in advance of Recycle More cannot happen because of the current uncertainty around timescales and the restrictions on non-essential travel and social isolation.
  • SWP and contractor staff are focussed on maintaining essential services, which means they are unable to prepare for what is a big change to the way we work.

SWP will develop a new timetable and roll-out the new service out as soon as possible once the current crisis is over.

This is disappointing, but unavoidable and information about new timescales will be shared as soon as possible. The SWP asks for your understanding and patience, and asks for the public’s ongoing support in sorting all their recycling to make the important work of our hard-working collection crews more manageable in these challenging times.

Helping us manage service disruption

SWP’s current services are being unavoidably disrupted by Coronavirus, as staffing numbers are reduced and advice on non-essential travel and safe distancing is followed.

Garden waste collections are suspended (existing 2020-21 subscribers will have their service extended for 12 months from the restart of collections), as is the collection of bulky materials and delivery of new bins/boxes.

All Recycling Centres are also currently closed in line with government advice on non-essential travel.

Recycling and rubbish collections continue, but where recycling collections are missed we are unable to make return collections.

  • Please check somersetwaste.gov.uk/coronavirus and follow @somersetwaste on Twitter and Facebook for the latest service updates
  • If you have coronavirus symptoms or are in a household with someone showing symptoms, government guidance on safely dealing with personal waste is available at somersetwaste.gov.uk/coronavirus
  • If your recycling collection is missed, please take containers back in and put them back out again for the following week for collection.
  • To help crews finish their rounds: rinse containers, squash all but aerosols and glass if safe to do so, flatten and tear up all cardboard, sort-segregate materials without using carrier bags, and put it all – including all food waste (in the food waste bin) – out by 7am.
  • Leave garden waste in the garden, cut back on mowing, allow the garden to become more wildlife friendly with a corner for any woody materials, compost all other garden waste and suitable foods. More advice: https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/home-composting/
  • Please store materials and items you would otherwise drop off at recycling sites and do not add them to your rubbish. In particular, do not take risks with electrical items, batteries and gas canisters as these can cause a fire risk in your bin or the rubbish trucks.
  • Cut food waste, save money and reduce shopping trips with simple tips about meal planning, portion control, better storage and using up leftovers, here: https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/tackling-food-waste/
  • Rubbish and clinical waste collections are not affected. If either of these are missed, report it to get a return collection with the pull-down My Waste Services menu atsomersetwaste.gov.uk or via district council customer services: https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/contact-us/