Severe Weather Information and Advice

In the event that severe weather affects the refuse and recycling collection service, we will continue to carry out collections where it is considered safe to do so. But what happens if we can’t collect your bins because of the bad weather?

Recycling and Waste Bins

• Please put your bins out for collection on your scheduled day as normal (consult your collection calendar)
• If your bins are not collected please leave them out. They will be collected as soon as it is safe to do so. Weekends may be used to catch up on collections where possible and if required.
• If we have not emptied your bin due to the severe weather conditions and have been unable to return to your property before your next scheduled collection, then bagged side waste will be taken from beside that bin on your next scheduled collection.

Why haven’t you collected my bin?

The roads may be too dangerous to take a 20 tonne vehicle along and could put pedestrians, children, other vehicles and our own crew at risk. Even though the road appears clear, the pathways may be dangerous for our crews to collect bins. An increase in parked cars on streets during bad weather can also stop collection vehicles getting into or out of a street safely.

General advice regarding waste and recycling in the event of a service disruption:

• Double bag non recyclable waste that is going into your grey waste bin.
• Place food waste into your brown bin inside a compostable liner to limit any potential smells, although during the cooler months this should not be an issue as the composting process takes longer in the cooler weather.
• Make use of home composting bins for any vegetable and fruit peelings, tea bags, coffee grounds, cardboard and paper, if one is available to you.
• Rinse out and securely bag excess recycling. This waste will not perish or smell and can be stored safely. Excess recycling will be picked up with your blue bin once the collection rounds have resumed, if more than one collection has been missed. Please squash cans and plastics where possible to get the maximum capacity out of your blue recycling bin.
• If it is possible for you, make use of the Household Waste Recycling Centres to dispose of excess waste. In times of bad weather please contact 0300 111 8000 or visit recycling@staffordshire.gov.uk to check these sites are open before you set off.
• Please ensure that the correct bin is used for the correct type of waste or recycling to ensure that the maximum capacity is made out of all of your bins.