Covid-19 infection rates in the whole of Surrey, including Waverley, have risen and, like many other councils, we are experiencing significant disruption to some of our services.
Since the original lockdown in March 2020, our bin crews have been working extremely hard to maintain our usual service. However, with a rise in infections and corresponding staff absence, our waste collection service is being impacted.
In order to ensure all available staff resources focus on the essential household waste and recycling collections, we have taken the decision to suspend our Garden Waste service as of Monday 11 January until further notice.
We would therefore ask residents whose garden waste is due for collection on or after 11 January not to put their brown bin out until we advise that we are able to re-commence the service. We will, of course, extend the period of a resident’s subscription to cover any period of suspension.
Councillor Steve Williams, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, said: “We thank all our residents who are affected for their understanding in this matter. Our bin crews have been doing an amazing job keeping the service running through the Coronavirus pandemic but, they are now, like so many others, feeling the effect of rising sickness rates and staff absences.
“Suspending garden waste collections is not a decision taken lightly, but I hope Waverley residents will understand that, as a result of the challenges of the pandemic, we have to prioritise waste and recycling collections.”
“We are working closely with our contractor, Biffa, to keep this essential service going during the current lockdown, and I’d like to thank the bin crews for doing such an amazing job in these really difficult circumstances. I’d also like to thank residents for their patience and their continued efforts in reducing or reusing waste and composting as not only does this help our bin crews but also our environment.”
Could we please remind all residents that if your refuse or recycling collections are late during the pandemic, please be patient and leave them out as the contractor will return to empty them as soon as possible.
If it is only your bin that has not been emptied but your neighbours have been dealt with, then please report in the usual way via our bin checker: www.waverley.gov.uk/missedbin
