Update 17th March
Recycling collections to resume from 21 March
Hills Municipal Collections and GMB Union have confirmed they have reached an agreement, which means the waste collection strike has now concluded with immediate effect, and our recycling collections will resume next week. Our contractor Hills Municipal Collections has confirmed those workers that were on strike will return to work on Friday 18 March. Therefore, our kerbside recycling collections will resume as normal from Monday 21 March. Please put your blue lidded bins and black boxes out on your scheduled day from Monday 21 March. Due to the recent disruption there may still be slight delays to the collection due to the higher volumes of materials we expect, so if your recycling containers aren’t emptied on your scheduled day please leave them out, and they will be collected as soon as possible. You will still be able to leave additional recycling that has mounted up during the disruption; please leave any additional recycling materials in non-black bags or containers (such as plastic crates) next to the recycling bins and the crews will collect them. Household and garden waste collections will continue as normal so please put those bins out on your normal scheduled day. If those are not collected as scheduled they will be collected as soon as possible. In summary, the key things you need to know:
Recycling collection services will resume from Monday 21 March
Please put out your black box and blue lidded bin on your scheduled day from 21 March
If recycling bins are not emptied on your scheduled day please leave them out, and they will be collected as soon as possible
Any additional recycling materials stockpiled during the disruption will be collected. Please put those items in non-black bags or containers (such as a plastic crate) next to your recycling bins
Household and garden waste collections continue as normal so please put those bins out on your normal collection day. There could still be slight delays so please leave your bins out until collected
If you’re unsure on when your collection day is, please visit our website.
If you have any queries please visit our FAQs
Update 16th March
Update on disruption to waste services: recycling collections suspension extended
Due to further industrial action confirmed by the GMB Union, we have made the difficult decision to extend our suspension of recycling collection services until the week of 4 April. This does not affect household waste or garden waste collections, which will continue.
The GMB Union, which is in dispute with our contractor Hills Municipal Collections, has confirmed they will be striking until at least 2 April.
This means that recycling collection services won’t resume until the week of 4 April, and not the previously stated 21 March. Please do not put your blue lidded bins and black boxes out until your next collection day from 4 April onwards.
When recycling services do resume from 4 April, waste crews will accept additional materials that don’t fit in blue lidded bins or black boxes, so please leave them in bags, bin bags and crates and they will be picked up if they are left next to the recycling containers. However, if you are unable to store additional materials at home you can take them to your nearest household recycling centre (HRC). All Wiltshire HRCs are operating as normal.
We have a dedicated FAQ page with a host of information and this will be updated for the duration of the industrial action with everything you need on any change or disruption to waste services.
Please continue to put out your household and garden waste bins out on your normal collection days, and if for any reason they aren’t emptied as scheduled then they will be the following day where possible.
If any additional industrial action is confirmed we’ll keep you updated on the possible impact to our services.
This dispute is between Hills Municipal Collections and the GMB Union and out of our direct control, and we hope it can be resolved as quickly as possible.
Apologies for the inconvenience this is causing, and we thank you for your patience.
Update 11th March
Recycling collections suspended until 21 March
Due to industrial action, we've made the difficult decision with Hills Municipal Collections to temporarily suspend recycling services in the county until 21 March, to prioritise household waste and chargeable garden waste collections.
Please continue to put your household waste and garden waste bins out on your scheduled collection day by 7am, and if they're not collected, leave them out and where possible they will be collected the next day.
For the latest updates on any disruption or changes to waste collection services, please keep an eye on our Twitter feed.
If you need to get rid of any excess rubbish or recycling before your next collection date, our household recycling centres remain open.
Update 8th March
Important waste industrial action update: temporary suspension of recycling services
Some Hills Municipal Collection workers are currently taking strike action, and this is due to continue until 18 March. As a result, we have taken the difficult decision to suspend mixed dry recycling (blue lidded bin) and glass (black box) collections between 7 and 18 March. If you have already put out your blue lidded bin and black box for collection, please take them back in until your next scheduled collection date. We will collect additional recycling on or after 21 March, in your blue lidded bin and black box. Alternatively, you can take waste that will not fit in your bin to any of our household recycling centres. Put your household waste and garden waste bins out on your scheduled collection day. Please note: this change does not affect your general household waste or garden waste collections. During the industrial action period please continue to put your household and garden waste bins out by 7am on your scheduled collection day. If you're not sure what day your collections are, visit the calendar page on our website and enter your postcode. If a household or garden waste bin is not emptied as scheduled, please leave it out and it will be emptied the following day, where possible.
We wanted to update you on possible disruption to our waste services from 7 March, as a result of planned industrial action by some workers by Hills Municipal Collections.
At this stage, GMB Union has confirmed that industrial action will take place from 7 March for two weeks.
Although the previous planned industrial action planned for 28 February was suspended, Hills have now received confirmation from the GMB union that the latest pay offer has been rejected and that the industrial action will now take place from 7 March, and we are planning for that eventuality with the contractor.
The number of union members who are likely to strike has been reduced following UNISON members accepting the pay deal.
The industrial action is out of our control and in the meantime, we are working with Hills Municipal Collections to mitigate disruption as quickly as possible.
We are advising residents to put their bins out on their collection day by 7am and should they not be collected for any reason then we will arrange to collect them the following day where possible.
This is a fluid situation, but our main aim is to ensure that if for any reason our schedule slips, that we get back on track as soon as possible.
Despite this possible disruption caused by this, we are very pleased to say that our new waste round collections, which began on 28 February, have gone incredibly smoothly so far with very few issues reported.
This gives us confidence that should any timings slip then we will catch up quickly.
If there are any significant disruptions to services we are asking residents to visit the
council’s waste pages for updates Waste and recycling service changes or to keep an eye on our Twitter feed – https://twitter.com/wiltscouncil.
If you’re made aware of anyone not sure when their collection day is, please point them in the direction of the Waste collection calendar - Wiltshire Council.
Many thanks for your support, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in
touch.
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