Waste Drop-off Sites Reinstated as Further Bin Strikes Hit

South Tyneside Council is reminding residents that there will be no bin collections next week (Tuesday 19 to Friday 22 March inclusive) due to industrial action being taken by waste collection crews.

To help mitigate the impact of the ongoing action, and to support people to dispose of excess household and recyclable waste, skips are being temporarily reinstated from tomorrow -Friday to Sunday inclusive, for an initial two-week period.

This is the sixth wave of industrial action by members of the GMB and Unite unions, with further industrial action also anticipated from Tuesday 2 April to Friday 5 April inclusive. Again, there will be no bin collections at all during this period.

When crews return to work, the Council will be prioritising general waste collections, from Tuesday 26 March to Good Friday 29 March, with residents advised to present their GREY household bin ONLY every day from Tuesday to Friday until it is collected. The Council's online bin collection calendar will be suspended.

On non-strike weeks, waste crew operatives also continue to take action short of strike. This action is having a significant impact on day-to-day collections with rolling backlogs across the Borough.

A South Tyneside Council spokesperson said: "We understand how frustrating and challenging the situation is for all our residents and thank everyone for their continued patience. We are working hard to mitigate the impact of the strikes as much as we can.

"We are aware of the concerns relating to the build-up of waste and that residents are being affected by the ongoing action short of strike taken by waste collection crews.

"General waste presents a greater public health risk which is why we are asking all residents to present their grey household waste bin only for collection every day, from Tuesday 26 to Friday 29 March, until it is collected.

"We are also reintroducing temporary weekend waste drop-off sites, this time to help residents dispose of both excess household and recyclable waste."

Skips will operate from 9am to 3pm, from tomorrow Friday (15 March) to Sunday 17 March inclusive, and again from Friday 22 March to Sunday 24 Marchinclusive, at:

• Boldon Colliery - car park at The Shack (general waste skip);
• Hebburn - Hebburn Central car park to the side (general waste skip);
• Hebburn - Clegwell Community Association, Mountbatten Avenue (one general waste and one recycling skip);
• Jarrow - Hedworthfield Community Association, Cornhill (pedestrian access ONLY; one general waste skip and one recycling skip);
• South Shields - car park at rear of shops on Centenary Avenue (one general waste skip);
• South Shields - Chuter Ede, Galsworthy Road (one general waste and one recycling skip);
• South Shields - One Trinity Green side car park (one general waste skip);
• South Shields - Winchester Street car park (one general waste skip);
• Whitburn - car park behind Latimers(one general waste and one recycling skip).

The general waste drop-off points are for bagged domestic household waste only. Sites are NOT for the disposal of trade waste including asbestos, DIY waste and rubble, medical, flammable or hazardous materials, gas bottles or furniture items. Skips have to be hand sorted at the Council's transfer station and prohibited materials could endanger the workforce.

Recycling drop-off points are for the dry mixed recyclable materials that residents would normally dispose of in their blue recycling bins only. No plastic bags or black sacks will be accepted: please empty materials into the skips.

The intention is that full skips will be regularly exchanged for an empty skip throughout the day until 3pm. If skips are full, do not leave waste at the side of the skips. Please return later. There will be no skips in place overnight.

The Council has also increased the number of booking slots (by more than 2,000 per week) at the Recycling Village at Middlefields Industrial Estate, South Shields.

During the strike periods, the Recycling Village also has dedicated facilities for the disposal of dry mixed recyclable materials. Staff are always on hand to guide visitors to the correct skips.

The spokesperson added: "We absolutely remain committed to recycling and continue to encourage residents to support us and recycle as much as they can during these challenging times. We appreciate that not everyone can get to the Recycling Village, or the drop off points, which is why we appeal for people to support each other and help family, friends and neighbours if they can."

To book a slot visit www.southtyneside.gov.uk/recyclingvillage Residents are asked to cancel their booking if not needed or if they choose to use one of the skips.

The Customer Contact Centre continues to experience a high volume of calls relating to the industrial action and bin collection arrangements.

To support staff to deal with other enquiries, residents with waste related queries are encouraged to visit the Council's website at www.southtyneside.gov.uk in the first instance, where they will find further information including a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Residents are asked not to contact the Council with individual enquiries on when their bins will next be collected as information on collection timetables is limited.