WILLITON and Dulverton recycling centres are among 11 that will reopen on Monday (May 11) but for essential visits only, in line with updated Government guidance.

Garden Waste collections are also set to resume on Monday, both services having been suspended by Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) in response to the coronavirus crisis.

Minehead is expected to reopen on Tuesday May 26 and operate on the temporary opening hours, though the plan will be constantly reviewed depending on how things are working.

To ensure social distancing and to protect public and staff, there will be restrictions on numbers coming into the recycling sites and the range of materials sites will accept.

And SWP is warning would-be visitors to expect big queues and long waits as access is limited to ‘one in, one out’ and the number of unloading bays is reduced. Measures to control traffic will be in place.

Initially, the sites will operate temporary additional opening hours of:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 9am to 6pm; Saturday and Sunday: 9am to 4pm; Thursday closed.

An odd and even vehicle number plate system will be used to control numbers. People can only visit on certain days depending on your number plate:

Odd numbers can visit on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, and even numbers on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.

Other restrictions include:

* A maximum of two people per household;

* Gloves to be worn while outside vehicles;

* No trailers or large vans (3.5 tonne or heavier) will have access.

Temporary restrictions also apply to materials being accepted, again to ensure social distancing. To start with, only the following will be accepted:

* Rubbish – material that would usually be put in black rubbish bins, excess black bags not taken by kerbside collections, and bulky items like furniture;

* Green waste – garden waste such as grass cuttings, leaves, hedge trimmings;

* Large household electrical items – white goods, cookers TVs etc;

* Hazardous household chemicals such as pesticides, weed killers & insecticides. 

Any items that would usually incur payment 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 will not be possible, so unless it is absolutely essential, then people are asked not to bring cardboard, food and drink cans, paper, food waste, plastic bottles, glass bottles and jars.

To recycle this material, along with waste wood, metal, plastic pots tubs and trays, scrap metal, TetraPaks and small electricals, use the kerbside collections or hold on to them until the sites return to normal.

Mickey Green, SWP managing director, said: “The closure has been frustrating and we’ve wanted to see sites open as much as anyone, but we have to do it in a way which keeps people safe and have only been able to open them up now that Government has finally clarified which journeys are deemed essential. The changes we’ve put in place are there to protect everyone.

“The Government guidance issued on Tuesday is clear that only those who really need to come, should come. If it’s not an essential journey, be patient and wait.

“The sites are likely to be very busy with long queues. Any trip will take much longer than usual, strict social distancing will need to be followed and we will not tolerate any abusive behaviour. These temporary arrangements will be reviewed constantly with the aim of getting sites back to accepting all materials as soon as it’s practically possible, but it will take time.”

Garden Waste collections were suspended as staffing numbers were hit and collections of rubbish, recycling, food and clinical waste prioritised.

They also restart on Monday, supported by temporary staff and vehicles. Collection days will have changed and subscribers are urged to check their renewal letter to find their new collection date, or check online www.somersetwaste.gov.uk

Crews will not be collecting material that is not in a green bin or an SWP pre-paid sack, or from any households which have not subscribed to this year’s service.

They will not collect bins that are overfull or too heavy to lift – so dispose of it through collections gradually, if necessary taking some material out and waiting for the next collection or take it to a recycling centre if disposing of it is essential.

Subscriptions are being extended until mid-May 2021 so that subscribers do not lose out financially as a result of the disruption.

 For more information about how to reduce and reuse 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.