Recycling Collection information: https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/recycling-collections/
Recycle More information: https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/recycle-more/
Useful guide to Somerton Recycling Centre: https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/centres/somerton-recycling-centre/
Updated 22nd June 2020
19 June 2020
Recycling sites: ‘shop-style’ social distancing on its way
Visitors to Somerset Waste Partnership’s recycling centres will find ‘shop-style’ social distancing arrangements in place over the next week.
Floor markings and other extra signs are being introduced to all 16 sites in the coming days. The set-up will be similar to that seen in supermarkets and other shops, with visitors expected to take responsibility for keeping themselves and others safe.
Sites were closed in March in response to COVID-19 and reopened in May with extra staff and barriers on hand to make sure social distancing was followed and to control access to waste skips.
This extra staffing has been gradually phased out and over the course of the next week, starting on Saturday (20 June), barriers will be removed.
Other safety and access restrictions remain in place:
- Gloves to be worn when outside the vehicle
- Maximum of two people per household
- Trailers and 3.5 tonne vans only allowed between 4pm and 6pm on weekdays
- Lifting assistance not available.
There will be a further update when all sites can take the last few materials currently not being accepted, including glass and cardboard which can be recycled at the kerbside.
Sites have experienced long queues at times, especially in the morning, and the public is still advised to only make trips to the tip if really necessary.
Mickey Green, Managing Director of SWP, said: “These arrangements will be familiar to everyone from their trips to the supermarket, with the responsibility very much on the public to do the right thing and maintain social distance.
“The way that visitors have accepted the restrictions and followed the guidance so far has been great and I’m sure this will be no different.”
All sites are now open for their usual summer hours. Queue cams are operating for Bridgwater, Chard, Highbridge, Minehead, Street, Taunton, Wells and Yeovil. Please check before you leave
www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/recycling-centre-queue-cams/
For more information about how to reduce and reuse your waste, visit www.somersetwaste.gov.uk
For the latest information about services and any disruption visit www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/coronavirus and follow @somersetwaste on Twitter and Facebook.
[END]
Updated 5th June 2020
5 June 2020
Recycling sites: plastics and wood taken from 8 June
Somerset’s recycling sites will accept more materials from next week.
From Monday 8 June, all 16 sites will take plastic pots, tubs and trays; waste wood (man-made or natural); small household electrical items (such as toasters); and paint.
This is as well as the other materials already being accepted as the service moves back towards business as usual after sites were closed due to COVID-19.
Please remember, any items you would usually pay to have disposed of will not be accepted, such as commercial waste, tyres, gas bottles, soil and hardcore, vehicle parts, plasterboard and asbestos.
All sites are now open for their usual summer hours and the odd and even number plate access system is no longer in place.
Please check www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/recycling-centre-queue-cams before you leave to see the queue cams for Bridgwater, Chard, Highbridge, Minehead, Street, Taunton, Wells and Yeovil.
Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) is advising people only to come to the sites if they really need to. Long queues are expected, especially first thing in the morning, as the number of unloading bays has been reduced to allow social distancing. Other access restrictions remain in place:
- Maximum of two people per household
- Gloves must be worn
- Strict social distancing
- Trailers and 3.5 tonne vans only allowed access 4pm-6pm weekdays.
Mickey Green, Managing Director at SWP, said: “This is another big step forward and we thank everyone for their continued patience and understanding. Social distancing measures will remain for the foreseeable future, so the advice remains to only come if you really need to because you may find yourself facing a lengthy wait.
“We’re all trying to get back to as close to normal as possible, and in Somerset that means great recycling. Most people in Somerset recycle and that helps protect our environment and tackle climate change. Recycling everything you can and making sure it’s properly sorted into the containers helps us reuse and recycle more than 130,000 tonne of waste each year, of which more than 90% stays in the UK.”
The full list of materials taken at Somerset recycling sites from Monday:
- Rubbish – material you would usually put in your black rubbish bin, excess black bags not taken by kerbside collections (landfilled in Somerset)
- Bulky items, such as furniture and mattresses (landfilled in Somerset)
- Garden waste (composted in Somerset)
- Large household electrical items – white goods, TVs etc (recycled in UK)
- Small household electrical items – irons, toaster etc (recycled in UK)
- Hazardous household chemicals, such as solvents, garden chemicals, paint thinners and antifreeze (treated and disposed of in UK)
- Cooking oil and engine oil, in disposable containers of up to five litres (recycled in UK)
- Scrap metal (recycled in UK)
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays (recycled in UK)
- Paint (water-based recycled in UK; other paint landfilled)
- Man-made wood – chipboard, MDF, etc (recycled in UK)
- Natural wood – untreated timber, tree trunks, etc (recycled in UK)
Access to most recycling skips is not possible. Unless you really need to, please do not bring materials that can go in the continuing weekly recycling collections (these will temporarily be landfilled): www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/recycling-collections.
Visit www.somersetwaste.gov.uk for more about how to reduce and reuse your waste. Visit www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/coronavirus for the latest information about services and any disruption, and follow @somersetwaste on Twitter and Facebook.
[END]
29 May 2020
Recycling centres: Back to summer opening next week
Somerset Waste Partnership’s recycling centres will revert to their usual summer opening hours from Monday 1 June.
As well as the current temporary hours, the odds and even number plate access system will also come to an end from Monday. All other restrictions remain in place as SWP continues the move towards business as usual following Coronavirus closures.
Eleven of the 16 sites reopened on 11 May, and the remaining five on Tuesday (26 May), though materials and access remain restricted.
Please see https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/recycling/centres/ from Monday morning for all sites’ opening hours – note that for Taunton, Yeovil and Frome it means a return to seven days a week opening.
SWP is continuing its plea for people to only come if it is really necessary and to take full advantage of the weekly kerbside recycling collections, which have continued throughout the crisis.
Long queues are expected at the sites, especially first thing in the morning, as the number of unloading bays has been reduced to allow social distancing. Queue cams are viewable for Bridgwater, Chard, Highbridge, Minehead, Somerton, Street, Taunton and Yeovil. Please check before you leave.
Odd and even number plate access continue until Sunday 31 May:
- Odd numbers on Saturday (for example 01, 19 etc)
- Even numbers on Sunday (for example 02, 18 etc)
A maximum of two people per household will be permitted, gloves must be worn while outside your vehicle and strict social distancing maintained. Trailers and 3.5 tonne vans are only allowed access between 4pm and 6pm on weekdays.
Only materials accepted (and what happens to them):
- Rubbish – material you would usually put in your black rubbish bin, excess black bags not taken by kerbside collections, and bulky items like furniture (landfilled in Somerset, soon to be sent to an Avonmouth energy-from-waste plant)
- Green waste – garden waste such as grass cuttings, leaves, hedge trimmings (composted in Somerset)
- Large household electrical items – white goods, cookers TVs etc (recycled in UK)
- Household hazardous waste, such as solvents, garden chemicals, paint thinners and antifreeze (treated and disposed of in UK)
- Waste cooking oil and engine old, in disposable containers of up to five litres (recycled in UK)
- Scrap metal (recycled in UK)
Any items you would usually pay to have disposed of will not be accepted – including tyres, gas bottles, soil and hardcore, vehicle parts, commercial waste, plasterboard and asbestos.
Access to the normal recycling banks is not possible. So, unless you really need to, please do not bring cardboard, food and drink cans, paper, food waste, plastic bottles, glass bottles and jars. These can be recycled using the continuing weekly recycle collections: https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/recycling-collections/
If you want to recycle waste wood, plastic pots tubs and trays, TetraPaks and small electricals, please hold on to them until the sites return to normal.
Mickey Green, SWP Managing Director, said: “This is another step towards business as usual. The restrictions are there to keep everyone safe, but they do reduce capacity so please do only come if you really need to. It’s not business as usual and there’s every chance you will have a lengthy wait.”
For more information about how to reduce and reuse your waste, visit www.somersetwaste.gov.uk
For the latest information about services and any disruption visit www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/coronavirus and follow @somersetwaste on Twitter and Facebook.
[END]
Please click on the link below for the the latest information related to the news about the reopening of 11 recycling sites from Monday 11 May.
Please note the many temporary conditions/restrictions of recycling site use to ensure safety, manage numbers and maintain social distancing.
Monday 11 May: recycling sites reopen, garden waste collections restart
Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Advice and service updates
UPDATE: All Somerset recycling sites have been closed until further notice as a result of the coronavirus. This follows the latest government advice on avoiding non-essential contact and travel, and the challenges of ensuring public and staff safety at the busy sites where physical distancing is difficult.
PLUS: Bulky waste collections and garden waste collections suspended – details below.
Service updates
We are working hard with our contractors and partners, but the coronavirus will unfortunately have an impact on services as staffing levels are affected. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Service disruption until further notice:
- Suspended – all garden waste collections. So customers do not lose out financially, SWP is extending all subscriptions to take account of the disruption, however long it lasts. So, if disruption continues until the end of April 2020, the new annual subscriptions will last until the end of April 2021.
- Suspended – requests for bins, recycling boxes and food waste caddies. Teams will try to deliver those already ordered, but no new requests will be accepted.
- Suspended – bulky waste collections. Booked customers will be contacted shortly about refunds.
- Paused – the roll-out of the Slim My Waste, Feed My Face campaign so support staff are available for priority work. A decision on delivering the campaign to the remaining areas of Sedgemoor and West Somerset will be taken later.
- Closed – all recycling sites.
Personal waste disposal advice
The Government has provided guidance on how to dispose of personal waste, like tissues and disposable cleaning cloths, if you have Coronavirus symptoms.
The guidance is for anyone with symptoms, including those diagnosed with the infection who must remain at home until they are well. It also applies to people in households with someone showing symptoms (a new, continuous cough and/or high temperature) that may be caused by coronavirus.
Personal waste, should be stored securely in disposable rubbish bags. These should then be placed into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste within your home. This should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being put in your usual rubbish outside your house, which will be collected as part of the usual fortnightly collections.
Other household waste can be disposed of as normal. Full guidance for people staying at home because of confirmed or possible infection can be found on the Government’s website here the Government’s website here.
Website link: https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/coronavirus/