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09 February 2009
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News -
News from RFW
Bad weather affects recycling services in Wiltshire
The heavy snow which hit the county last week may continue to disrupt recycling services in Wiltshire.Recycling vehicles from Wiltshire County Council’s contractors, Hills Waste Solutions Ltd, were unable to visit many properties to collect black boxes because minor roads were impassable.
Some household recycling centres had to temporarily shut because access was too dangerous, although staff did report for work.
The Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) at Lower Compton was closed on Friday Feburary 6 and Saturday February 7 because of similar snow-related safety concerns. That has never happened before.
At the moment all household recycling centres are fully operational, as is the MRF. All recycling vehicles have gone out today, although certain collection rounds may not be completed as some pavements remain icy and dangerous, so the collectors will not be able to work as quickly as normal.
Residents should put out their black box as normal on their next collection day. If your black box was due to be collected last week then it should be taken back inside and put out on the next scheduled collection day.
District councils are responsible for kerbside refuse collections - that is those destined for landfill – as well as garden waste for composting and, in Salisbury’s case, plastic bottles and cardboard for recycling. Additionally Kennet District Council has responsibility for black box collections in its area.
Residents are advised to keep an eye on the district council websites to find out the latest information on how their authority is dealing with their own areas of responsibility.
The web sites are:
As at 2pm on Monday February 9, the latest weather forecast suggests that the county will certainly experience heavy rain and may get more snow in the next 48 hours.
The waste services team at the county council is monitoring the situation on an hourly basis and will update www.recycleforwiltshire.com with the latest information as necessary. People are advised to check that site.
Andy Conn, waste services manager at the county council, said: “The dangerous conditions have meant we have had to make some tough choices about which services can operate safely and not endanger residents or the workforce. I’d like to thank people for their patience as we get services back on track.“Staff are working hard to ensure we can complete collection rounds as quickly as possible. We are liaising closely with our colleagues in the district councils so that we can pool resources in case the weather does take another turn for the worse.
“Please keep an eye on www.recycleforwiltshire.com or your district council website for the latest information.”