Bin collections are one of Dorset Council’s most important services, provided to over 200,000 households across the county.
But with the current public health measures introduced around the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, there may be challenges in maintaining waste service levels as some of our collection crew employees begin to self-isolate and follow social-distancing advice.
We have a robust business continuity plan to cope with reduced staffing levels and ensure every household still gets their waste collected.
Services have been prioritised according to relative importance. As staffing levels reduce, employees will be redeployed to cover higher priority work. Broadly speaking, running from highest to lowest priority, the order is: –
- Food Waste
- Rubbish collections
- Business waste collections
- Recycling collections
- Garden waste collections
- Street cleansing
- Bin deliveries
In short, employees working on lower priority services will be redeployed to cover absentees who were working in higher priority services. Dorset Council employees working on other non-critical services will also be trained to help with critical waste services if absentee levels become too high across our waste depots.
If, after these measures are introduced, we need to introduce more radical measures we can mix waste types that are currently collected separately (e.g. food with rubbish in a single vehicle, rather than two separate vehicles requiring fewer staff).
When Garden and Business waste collections are disrupted, we will work out how subscribers are compensated for collections they did not receive and contact them directly when services eventually return to normal.
Information will be posted on the Dorset Council coronavirus webpages to provide regular updates on what is happening with bin collections and what residents should do if collections are disrupted. We will also issue information via our usual communications channels such as local media, e-bulletins and social media.
We are also working with our contractors who treat and dispose of our waste to ensure business continuity arrangements are in place. We are closely monitoring any nationally imposed requirements, and as soon as we receive further instructions, we will communicate the details to residents.
Cllr Tony Alford, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for Customer, Community and Regulatory Services, said:
“While the current coronavirus (COVID-19) situation is certainly unprecedented, Dorset Council’s waste services are well prepared for the challenges we will face for the foreseeable future regarding bin collections and waste disposal.
We have a statutory duty to empty people’s bins, and it is vital that this service is maintained throughout the current crisis. We’re confident Dorset Council’s and our contractors’ business continuity plans are robust and will ensure rubbish will continue to be collected and disposed of.
I’d like to thank all our front-line waste and cleansing staff, and contractors, who I know will be working even harder than usual to ensure these vital functions continue over the coming weeks. To help them, residents can also try to reduce the amount of waste their household produces at the kerbside and show patience and understanding if their collections are disrupted.”
how will crews distance themselves at two metres when they are in the cab
with no masks on which i have not seen
Well done all you waste collectors. Many thanks and hope everybody is happy with what you folk do.
I am sorry, but I am unable to lift heavy weights and waiting for my glass bin to be full would make it impossible for me to put out for recycling.
I struggle already when there are just a few items in the glass bin. I have osteoarthritis in my hands and shoulders and need a stick for support.
That’s fine Jan, it’s just guidance for those who can accommodate. Please continue putting glass out as you usually would.
Please can you advise when you expect to reopen the Swanage recycling centre for garden waste.
When central government amends their Stay at Home, we’ll re-open the HRCs as soon as we can. We’re hoping to get this guidance in the coming week or so. As soon as we have a re-open date, we’ll make an announcement – thank you.
Hi my bins anit been Emptied or last week
The government’s handling of the coronavirus has been a complete disaster! Mixed messages, Boris saying one thing and his minister’s saying another. Yet another reason for other countries to point a finger at the idiots in charge the UK.
Just thank you to you all for doing your best . No doubt we will come through this crisis but in in the meantime let’s all pull together in the Dorset community
We know you will so your best and thank you. And information is so important to help us to do our best too, so advance notice of inability to empty green-top recycling bibs would be a big help.
Thanks to everyone involved with our waste collections. Very difficult times ahead but we hope everyone will do all they can to make your job easier.
Well done, good solid plan, let’s hope that the numbers in Dorset are kept low through social distancing etc.
Keep up the good work.
Your continued service is much appreciated. Excellent communication. I hope you all stay safe. Thank you.
Thanks for a good job still being done
Full marks to all these teams they work very hard to keep us free fromwaste stacking up and as I have a doorstep collection they have been absolutely regular in making sure my waste is removed without fail – it s good to have aspace to sing their praises
Very thoughtful to allow elderly and those with bus passes to travel before 9.30 to coincide with supermarket opening hours for the elderly. Thank you.
Keep up the good work folks.
Your service and dedication is very much appreciated
Can you please advise when my recycling bin will be collected, should have been last Monday. Sandy Lane. I am on the “at risk vulnerable” group. My bin is full up and now collecting lots of recycling rubbish in the home, food wasted and medical packaging. Please advise asap
Is it possible to have notices put on all litter bins. Someone’s pointed out not everyone has access to Social media. And thank you your doing a splendid job at these challenging times
Hi Linda – We’re looking into this now 🙂
Even better: Why not provide a label (printout via social media) along the lines of “I’m in the loop”, along with a QR code.
This would have two obvious advantages:-
1. It would save leaving leaflets for everyone and,
2. It would give the council a good idea of how many people are regularly checking your site.
Tom (Blandford).
P.S. The QR code would allow you to give individual feedback (contamination etc) to the householder and again save paper and time.
Thank you for the excellent service you provide all year and for continuing during these difficult times. You are unsung heroes that we can’t do without.
We are self isolating because my husband has to be shielded and we are over 70. We have a large amount of garden rubbish that was going to the tip. Could this be collected? I would be grateful and would pay for the service.
how do the binmen socially distance if there is 3 in a truck
Thank you for the information the men do great important job .
We have always had an excellent service from the recycling guys and girls, keep up the good work and most importantly KEEP SAFE AND VIRUS FREE !!
Thanks
Barry & Yvonne – Chickerell
If garden refuse bins are not to be collected and a resident is having to self isolate, therefore not being able to take the garden rubbish to the recycling centre would it not be an idea to top up a part filled household refuse bin with the garden and food waste and hopefully avoid fly tipping of the rubbish
Thank you for the clear information. Lets all try to keep smiling . I know you will all be doing your best
Yes – a sound plan but closing the tips needs review, particularly in regard to black bag rubbish (for which there can be a health risk) for those of us who regularly take such rubbish to a tip. As an interim measure, I’ve now been advised by the Council that I should leave my black bag out with the fortnightly recycling. It would be useful for this to be formalised.
Black bag rubbish should be collected at the kerbside – with the kerbside service in place for at least 5 years, there is no reason to ever take it regularly to the recycling centre. I’m not sure who told you to leave it our with recycling though, as it is doubtful it will picked up with this type of collection. Please put it out on your next rubbish day – thank you.
MAny thanks for keeping going, very much appreciated.
“There are no current plans to close household recycling centres”- follow your own link & you will find they have been closed for days!
Your plans for reprioritisation of work are perfectly logical & obviously necessary but if you mean- if your bin isn’t emptied, then it won’t be, at least say so, & we will know where we stand.
David
This release was issued before the latest government advice on travel and social-distancing was put in place.
Very best wishes to all collection gangs. You are doing a great job!
Very many thanks to all crew, we are all very grateful to you.
You all do a fantastic job and we should all be very grateful to these lovely people for carrying on in these horrendous times! A VERY BIG THANK YOU, from me!!
The crews are doing good work. However, it would help if extra crews were on so that whole roads are not missed because with everyone at home there is naturally more black bin rubbish and recycling. This is a rural county and this means we don’t want waste to accumulate when there is a missed collection.
Also please open the tips. Cars pull in and out quickly, there is hardly any conversation so little risk of virus contamination between people. You could say No Large items if you want to reduce those. Thanks for your efforts.
We can’t put extra crews on if we just don’t have the numbers of employees available. Tips are closed because travel there is not covered in the government guidance for essential journeys so we have had to close them.
Hope you can continue to do the best job you are doing. Very difficult times and I think the majority of people totally understand the issues you are facing. We must all do our best to try and reduce the waste we are producing and feel for the staff that still have to deliver key services who would much rather be home with their families. Please do what you can to keep safe. I’m safe at home, following the guidance and appreciate what everyone out there is doing and hoping others are doing and feel the same.
Thank you to all the crews doing their best to keep Dorset rubbish free.
We are informed here in Wareham that our recycling won’t now be collected until 22nd April – that means 6 weeks worth of recycling and the bins are already overflowing and other residents are putting their overflow in other people’s bins. I know it is really difficult and I am also a council essential worker but I think some people will get fed up and give recycling a miss and just use their waste bins or fly tip. It can’t be helped I know. Keep on keeping on and be safe.
Re my last comment! Rewind!
Having been informed that if the collection was missed yesterday then the recycling would not be collected until 22nd April, I heard the waste crew this morning. As instructed we had moved the bins (and our neighbour’s bin) back along to the back of the house. I pelted along to the crew, explained that I thought they weren’t coming until 22nd (news to them!!) and they waited while I brought the bins back to the main street. One of the guys even came along the back and picked up the bottle container (too heavy for me – not all our bottles, I may add!) and emptied it for me. What a great set of guys, willing and helpful. So grateful to them for getting out there despite the risk. Sorry for the previous moan! Way to go guys and keep really safe – heroes! And thank you all of Dorset Council – working really hard and long to keep everything going.
Our food waste bin has not been emptied since before the lockdown. I have notified this on a number of occasions and have had no reply. This seems to have tied in with the notification that it would be collected by a different vehicle to that collecting either recycling or general waste. Your website states that collection of food waste will be prioritised over all other waste.
Sorry to hear that Mrs. Robertson – if you please let me know your most recent reference number, I’ll chase with the depot – James
What rubbish is allowed under “Injury Health And Harm”? I can’t think of any. Is this just away of saying we are closed but it looks as if we are doing something
To clarify, HRCs are open for those who have an essential need to drop off waste. They are all fully staffed, with ‘Meet and Greet’ reps at each, for those people who consider that their waste is presenting a hazard at home and cannot continue to be stored safely.