While some councils pause garden waste collections over the winter, the two Cambridgeshire councils usually continue them as it is collected mixed with food.
However, in a statement yesterday the council said the service will be suspended until at least 12 January, as crews concentrate on emptying recycling and residual waste.
This comes ahead of the festive period when more waste and recycling is traditionally generated.
The two councils also said they are still being hit by the shortage of drivers too.
I really hope that residents will continue supporting our crews
– Head of Greater Cambridge Shared Waste, Bode Esan
Support
Head of Greater Cambridge Shared Waste, Bode Esan, said: “I really hope that residents will continue supporting our crews and understand that the decision to suspend green bin collections is not one that we have taken lightly. We have done everything we possibly can to keep all our collection services going, by working hard to cover for absences as well as recruiting new staff”.
Garden
Back in the summer, when the green bin service was threatened, the councils gave advance warning that collections could be disrupted due to the pandemic causing staff shortages. This has now been realised.
Since the onset of the pandemic in the UK, garden waste collections have been some of the first services to be cut.
Surveys from ADEPT in the first few weeks of the first lockdown showed more than half of councils were facing disruption (see letsrecycle.com story).
This has been exasperated by the shortage of HGV drivers the industry is now facing.
Advice
During the green bin suspension, the advice for garden waste is to store this in the green bin or in a pile in the garden, or home compost, until collections resume. If necessary, it can be taken to the household recycling centres.
For this period only, residents who do have food waste are being asked to put it into the black bin.
Steps had already been taken to try and deal with staff shortages. Since September, Greater Cambridge Shared Waste says it has appointed 11 new bin crew members during a near-constant recruitment campaign.
Six existing refuse loaders are also currently going through a driver training programme. However, with 30 members of waste operations staff absent on Wednesday (8 December) it is no longer possible to continue planning to empty green bins.
Prioritise
Mr Esan added: “We have reached the point where we can’t do this any longer and must prioritise emptying black and blue bins. Please help out our hard-working crews by storing any remaining garden waste and leaves from this autumn and minimise food waste as much as possible over the coming weeks and the festive period in particular.”
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