Coronavirus: Changes to Sheffield waste and recycling collections

Sheffield City Council says it has implemented business continuity plans and trained an extra 28 members of staff, as the virus continues to spread through the city.

The local authority says a number of changes to the city’s waste services, which are operated by Veolia, such as prioritising collections of black bins and clinical waste and cancelling all garden waste collections are now set to be brought in.

Gillian Charters, head of waste management, said: “The ongoing collection of waste is critical and we are doing everything we can to keep the service operating as fully as possible.

However, due to the threat of coronavirus and impact on public health, the black bin and clinical waste collections will be prioritised to ensure that essential services remain in operation, allowing us to keep Sheffield as clean and safe as possible.

“We would like to thank residents for their patience and understanding as we face an ever changing situation”

Residents are also being asked to dispose of certain types of rubbish, such as personal waste, ‘securely’.

Here is a list of all the changes to collections, as well as the disposal guidance residents are being asked to follow.

Black bin and recycling collections:

All black and recycling collections are operating as normal.

Households, which are showing symptoms of the coronavirus and are self-isolating should continue to use the black bin collection service as normal, with the following important exceptions:

- Store personal waste such as used tissues and disposable cleaning cloths securely within disposable rubbish bags.

- Place each bag into another bag, tie them securely and keep separate from other waste.

- These bags should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being put in your black bin for collection.

- Please do not take this waste to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.

Garden waste (green bin) collections:

Due to the impact of the coronavirus on staffing levels, all garden waste collections are suspended until further notice, and new requests are not currently being taken for the

service.

Residents are advised to keep their green bin on their property (not on the pavement) and where possible, store their garden waste at home until collections restart.

Once the full impact of the coronavirus on the green bin service is known, customers will be informed of arrangements to rectify any collections missed.

Household Waste Recycling Centres:

Currently all of the council’s Household Waste Recycling Centres are open as normal.

However, in line with government guidelines and the safety of the workforce and public, residents are asked to only visit the sites if crucial to do so.

If a visit is unavoidable, residents are asked to ensure that they follow the Government’s social distancing guidelines.

Whilst sites are currently open, if large numbers of people visit the sites or fail to follow the guidelines, they will be forced to close.

The council advises residents to check their website at www.sheffield.gov.uk/waste for up to date service updates due to the situation with ‘the coronavirus changing on a daily basis’.