Bulky waste collection services – which were suspended on 24 March due to the coronavirus pandemic – are set to resume operations today, Telford & Wrekin Council announced.
Bulky waste collection services were suspended following national government advice, as part of the nationwide coronavirus lockdown. Since then, Telford & Wrekin Council (TWC) has been working with their waste contractor, Veolia, to find a safe way to resume those services.
At 5pm on 7 July, TWC announced that bulky waste collection services were to resume across the borough as of today (8 July).
They have implemented some new measures meant to ensure staff and public safety, and to be compliant with government guidelines. These include:
- Bulky waste collection crews will no longer be able to able to enter a resident’s home to collect a bulky item. Instead, all items need to be presented in a safe place outside the home.
- Crews will collect items from the rear of properties, as long as access can be gained without going through the property. Before loading, all items will be sprayed with disinfectant as a safety measure to protect staff.
- Households self-isolating due to COVID-19 will need to wait at least 72 hours after their household is symptom free before booking a bulky collection.
- It is expected that demand for the service will be high, so people may have to wait longer than normal for a collection slot. There will also be fewer collections slots a day as staff will need to carry out additional safety measures.
TWC has issued ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ guidance for preparing for a collection. Advice includes:
Do:
- collections start at 7am, so please remember to get those items out for collection on your scheduled day
- please make sure the items are accessible
- make sure items are outside your property in your garden or driveway and are all in one place, please do not leave on public land
- If you are leaving items out before your scheduled collection, please cover any fabric based items to ensure they do not get waterlogged
- remove any nails from wood or furniture
- tie, tape or bundle large amounts of wood like flooring, old furniture units, carpet and underlay
- tape up any glass – we can only lift panes of glass if they are still in their frame and have been taped over.
Don’t:
- leave items inside your property, we can’t enter parts of your home, like garages and sheds, to collect items
- leave out any items other than those you originally booked with us – we can’t collect them
- leave out waterlogged carpets or mattresses.
How to prepare for a collection – Telford & Wrekin Council
For more information, and to book a collection slot, visit Telford & Wrekin’s website. Alternatively, you can call them on 01952 384384.
Household recycling centres (HRCs) have been open since 5 May. If you are able to do so safely, you can dispose of items at these HRCs.