Wealden District Council - suspension of garden waste collections

Please find below information sent to the parish council from Wealden District Council regarding garden waste collections

WEALDEN DISTRICT COUNCIL

Please find below the latest service update about Garden Waste Collections.

All Wealden service updates and other information to help with the local response to Covid-19 can be found here: https://www.wealden.gov.uk/news-and-events/coronavirus-covid-19-latest/ including the application form for businesses to apply for the Covid-19 Business Support Grant, and information about our Community Support initiative.

27th March– Suspension of Garden Waste Collection Service

Due to staff sickness and self-isolation due to the Coronavirus outbreak, we regret to inform you the Council and our waste contractor Biffa have taken the difficult decision to suspend garden waste collections.

This will begin on Monday 30 March and continue until at least Friday 24 April. The suspension will be kept under review and we will continue to work with our waste contractor to reinstate this service as soon as possible. We must do this in order to prioritise our waste and recycling collections. We hope you will understand this is unavoidable and in the best interests of public health in the unusual circumstances we all face.

We are also working on how we will catch up with collections and any other implications for customers. Further information on this will follow in due course.

Please remember the local Household Waste Recycling Sites are also currently closed. Although it is tempting to do gardening following the Government's advice to stay at home please try to avoid creating unnecessary waste until the service resumes or the tips can reopen. Please do not place garden waste in your refuse or recycling bin because it will not be emptied. Where possible, please compost at home. Advice on home composting can be found at https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/environment/rubbishandrecycling/whatyoucando/composting/.

Don't be tempted to fly tip. Most residents in Wealden are very responsible, but fly tipping is an offence and offenders will be prosecuted.

The sign-up process for the garden waste service from 1 July 2020 opens on 1 April and will still go ahead. You can sign up between then and the 8 June to ensure you receive the licence label for your bin for collections in July.

Our preference is for residents to sign up online using https://www.wealden.gov.uk/gardenwaste especially as our staff are very busy dealing with the Covid-19 emergency. If you cannot sign up online, please phone 01323 443322. We may not be able to answer calls as quickly as normal. Unfortunately, due to the current situation, we will be unable to accept new customers for the current garden waste collection service year which ends on 30 June 2020.