We’re doing everything we can to keep bin collections running as normal during the Coronavirus pandemic. But it’s likely that services will be impacted soon because of staff shortages due to sickness. To help us prepare, here are some things that you can do to help:
Help bin crews operate
- Due to reduced traffic, your usual collections time may change. Please put your bins out early and leave them out until they’ve been emptied.
- Please be considerate when parking your car on a collection day, this will help to ensure the collection vehicles can access your road.
- Please make sure your bin lids are firmly closed to help prevent crews unnecessarily touching them.
- Wash your hands before and after touching your bin.
- Compact your recycling by flattening and folding cardboard and washing and squeezing plastic to fit as much as possible into your bins. Only put bins out when they are full. Cardboard that can’t fit into your recycling bin will be collected if it’s folded and tied and left next to the bin.
- Bin crews are working hard to keep this essential service going during this difficult time. If you see them, please let them know you appreciate what they’re doing and give them a wave or a smile!
Recycle right and reduce your waste
- Due to reduced traffic, your usual collections time may change. Please put your bins out early and leave them out until they’ve been emptied.
- Please be considerate when parking your car on a collection day, this will help to ensure the collection vehicles can access your road.
- Only put items that can be recycled in recycling bins. Use the Surrey Recycles search tool on our What to do with an item page to find out what goes where. Or downloaded the app – search for ‘Surrey Recycles’ in the Apple or Google app store.
- Reduce your waste as much as possible. Could you use an alternative reusable item, or use something again instead of throwing it away? There are plenty of tips on how to reduce waste on the Surrey Environment Partnership (SEP) website.
- Don’t buy more food than you need and remember to freeze it if you can’t eat it before the use by date. Use up leftovers rather than throwing them away. Check the SEP website recipe page for ideas.
- Compact your recycling by flattening and folding cardboard and washing and squeezing plastic to fit as much as possible into your bins. Only put bins out when they are full. And cardboard that can’t fit into bins will be collected if it’s tied and left next to your bin.
- Start composting at home. You can buy a compost bin at a reduced rate from the SEP website. For those wanting to compost all their food waste, food waste digesters are also available.
- Surrey’s community recycling centres (CRCs) are currently closed until further notice due to the Government’s decision to restrict all but non-essential movement. Please do not put waste you may have taken to a CRC in your household bins as it may overwhelm collection services. If you decide to have a clear-out while you’re at home, please don’t put everything in the bin straight away. Wait until normal service resumes.
Fly-tipping
- Charity shops are currently shut due to coronavirus so are unable to accept items for reuse. Leaving items outside of charity shops is fly-tipping so please hold onto them until they reopen.
- Currently, not all recycling banks are being emptied regularly. If you go to one and it’s full, please don’t leave your recycling beside the bank as this is fly-tipping.
- While options for disposing of waste are reduced, residents should remember that fly-tipping is against the law and those convicted face fines of up to £50,000 or up to five years’ imprisonment as well as other potential penalties.
Please share this information with your neighbours, particularly any that you know are not online.
For more information, visit the Surrey Environment Partnership website.