This comes as Defra published guidance yesterday (May 05) on how waste and recycling centres can be safely re-opened, which was widely welcomed by many in the industry.
The department’s guidance said that under the terms of the lockdown, householders can travel to a centre if the waste in their home presents a risk of injury or a risk to public health or the local environment.
Councils
Leeds city council announced yesterday that it would aim to reopen the city’s main facilities next week.
However, a final decision on which HWRCs will reopen will be announced shortly “based on safety”.
Residents are asked to book time slots in advance of their visit and to only book slots to dispose of waste that is “absolutely necessary”.
Buckinghamshire
Meanwhile, Buckinghamshire council has confirmed that five out of its nine HWRCs are reopening today.
“Reopening facilities gives residents the chance to store waste that cannot be safely stored at home”
A statement from the council said that the reopening “gives residents the chance to store waste that cannot be safely stored at home”.
Councillor for environment and climate change at Buckinghamshire council Bill Chapple, said that the decision came after “listening to residents’ concerns on extra waste accumulation during the lockdown period”.
Meanwhile, West Sussex county council also announced that its HWRCs will reopen on Monday 11 May after “taking the government’s advice into account”.
The council said that final preparations are being completed this week.
Defra
The Defra guidance sets out how local authorities can manage access and the number of people who are able to be on site at any one time.
It states that if possible, waste should continue to be stored safely and disposed of using regular council collections.
Councils are being encouraged to open sites to avoid the build-up of waste in homes and businesses and reduce the opportunity for fly-tipping – but only where social distancing can be maintained.
Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: “We are publishing this guidance to help local authorities re-open their recycling centres over the coming days and weeks. This will ensure that more waste can be properly disposed of and we avoid the likelihood of fly-tipping.”
Welcomed
The guidance was welcomed by a string of people in the industry.
Andy Hill, chair of the Wood Recyclers Association, said: “HWRCs play such a vital role in the movement of recyclate and therefore the overall economy so it is key we keep them running where safe and practical to do so.”
Some sectors of the wood recycling market were hit hard by the closure of HWRCs, with warnings in March that biomass plants could run out of supply unless they were reopened (see letsrecycle.com story).
Veolia’s head of Covid-19 response, Richard Kirkman also welcomed the recommendations, saying: “The reopening of HWRC will ensure local authorities can maintain viral recycling and waste management infrastructure in their local areas, provide an essential service an reduce the environmental damage caused by fly tipping”.
This follows a guide the company published outlining how they managed to safety operate some centres during lockdown restrictions (see letsrecycle.com story).
Subscribe for free