Like most councils in the UK, we have been managing a number of significant challenges to our waste services during the last two years, including the impacts of both the nationwide HGV driver shortage and Covid-19.
Following the temporary suspension of the food and garden waste service between 28 December 2021 and 8 January 2022, we are now making a longer-term change to further enhance the efficiency and resilience of our collection rounds. This will ensure that we can maintain a good quality of service for all residents in the face of the ongoing challenges.
From Monday 7 February 2022 we will be changing recycling, food and garden waste, and rubbish (black bin) collection days for many of our residents.
Please note that apart from the collection day revision, no other changes are being proposed at this time. It will not affect the frequency of collections or how we collect waste from households. Collections will continue to take place on the same new collection day each week from Monday 7 February 2022, apart from a small number of properties that receive a communal (bin store) collection where the collection day may differ between black bin and recycling.
The Council will use various channels to ensure that residents are suitably informed and ready for this change. For example, from Monday 24 January 2022 all households with their own bins will begin receiving a postcard through the door advising of their new collection day as well as a collection calendar for the next 6 months which they can keep in a handy place like on a fridge door or notice board.
Residents who could have their collection significantly delayed during this change will receive an extra one-off rubbish (black bin), recycling and garden waste collection, where feasible. Households who will receive this one-off collection will be notified separately via a letter from the Council and our waste contractor Veolia. Please note that all garden waste subscribers can leave out three extra open topped bags of garden waste on collections between 7 and 18 February 2022.
Cllr Steve Ardagh-Walter, Executive Member for the Environment at West Berkshire Council, said: “The changes to the collection rounds will enable us to become more resilient against future challenges.
“We have learnt over the past few years how valued our services are amongst our residents and we have come up with a system to further improve this service. The route changes will enable better use of the available vehicles and crews by focussing them in defined zones during collection days rather than being spread thinly across the district.
“I would like to thank residents in advance for their patience and continued support during this transition period.”
Sara Perry, General Manager, Veolia West Berkshire said: “Changing collection days for some properties allows us to better balance our collection rounds and resources to ensure a more efficient and reliable service for all residents.
“We hope the residents of West Berkshire will understand the need to undertake this change and will support our hard working crews as we put the new arrangements in place.”
For more information about the collection day changes please visit: www.westberks.gov.uk/bindaychanges.
