WCC Service changes due to COVID-19

It is taking longer for crews to complete their rounds as:

• there is more waste produced as people stay at home…
• leading to more trips during individual rounds to offload the waste
• the teams are also observing social distancing guidance during the rounds
• and the departures from the depot are also being spaced out to support this guidance too

Due to collections taking longer, we need to start some rounds earlier. Please place bins out for collection the evening before your scheduled collection day, or by 6.15am on your collection day as per your waste calendar. This is 45 minutes earlier than the usual time to allow the staff to stagger their start times and reduce their contact with others.

If you or someone in your household has COVID-19 – or shows symptoms of COVID-19 – please help us prevent the spread of the virus by taking the following steps with materials that may be contaminated, such as waste tissues, disposable cloths or wipes used to clean surfaces.

• Step one – Place materials into a plastic bag and tie it when full
• Step two – Once the bag is full, double bag it in a second bin bag or plastic bag and tie it up.
• Step three – Store the bags for 72 hours (three days) and then place them in your normal wheeled bin.

If you don’t receive a wheeled bin collection, please make sure a council-issued bag label is placed on the outside of the double-bagged waste.

For more information, visit: www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection#cleaning-and-disposal-of-waste

Biffa teams cannot collect extra waste or recycling left alongside your bin at this time.

We want to take care of our crews so they can continue to work for as long as possible and we want to avoid them coming into direct contact with waste.

If you have extra waste or recycling, please bag it up securely and store it.

Please put it in your bin for the next scheduled collection.

Please take extra care to disinfect or clean the handle of your wheeled bin or box when you put it out and after collection.

This is an extra precaution for the crews and you to reduce the risk of passing any infection

• Continue to place your wheeled bin, glass box or bag out at your normal collection point.
• Please collect your wheeled bin, glass box or bag as soon as possible following the collection.

Hampshire County Council Household Waste Recycling Centres are all closed but please do not put any of the following items in your refuse bin:

• Stones or brick rubble
• DIY materials
•  Paint / chemicals or oil
• Hot ashes
• Clinical waste (we continue to provide a free domestic service for this)
• Commercial, trade or industrial waste
• Scrap metal
• Poisonous or noxious waste
• Garden waste
• Electrical products