All local authorities in Wales are currently keeping kerbside recycling and food waste collections operational during the coronavirus pandemic.
Nationwide staff shortages in the waste collection workforce have meant that many local authorities have had to restrict or suspend certain services.
Despite suspensions in other services, recycling collections in Wales are still operating
While kerbside recycling is still operational, all household recycling centres are closed, and a number of garden and bulky waste collections being suspended in Wales according to a survey of council information carried out by letsrecycle.com on the 3rd April 2020.
The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said that it is keeping the delivery of services and the consequences of the pandemic constantly under review.
Unprecedented
A spokesperson for the WLGA said: “[Welsh] Councils are working hard to maintain key services, such as kerbside collections, at this time of unprecedented challenges. COVID-19 is seriously impeding councils ability to deliver discretionary and non-essential services, which means services such as household waste recycling centres and bulky waste collections are being suspended, whilst kerbside collections are having to be scaled back.”
Notes: 1 Bulky waste previously suspended but now up and running again; 2 Changes in collection times; 3 Green waste collections under review; 4 Garden waste collected Saturday 4th April in certain areas, and then stopped; 5 Change in collection times; 6 Garden waste will run again on the 13th April; 7 Green bin collections suspended
While some recycling collections in other parts of the UK have been suspended altogether, local authorities in Wales have either introduced slight changes to their collections or kept them fully operational.
The WLGA said: “As the virus continues to spread significantly more council staff are inevitably becoming absent due to self—isolation or illness from having contracted the disease. Service provision is being kept under constant review to try and maintain key functions as best as possible, whilst protecting the safety and wellbeing of staff which is of paramount importance to all councils.”
“We believe this new system will enable us to keep the streets clean throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.”
New challenges
Some Welsh councils have come up with ways to collect waste to cater to the new challenges posed by the pandemic, such as changing collection times and asking residents to be extra careful with sorting their waste.
Cardiff council has introduced a new weekly kerbside collection which will see all household waste picked up at the same time in order to maintain services despite staff shortages.
Cardiff cabinet member for clean streets, recycling and the environment, Michael Michael said: “We believe this new system will enable us to keep the streets clean throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, even if we see reductions in crew numbers as people have time off to recover from the virus.”
Local authorities across Wales have urged residents to check council information regularly in case there are any changes to waste collections.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
