How services might change in adverse weather conditions

If the weather deteriorates, please continue to put your bin on the night before your scheduled collection day. If we are unable collect your bin, please leave it out and we will empty it as soon as possible.

We will aim to collect any missed collections the next working day. If conditions do not improve within this timescale, please look for updates on our website and social media channels or sign up for our bin updates.

Cold weather

If collections are delayed due to cold weather, you can help us resume normal collections quicker by following these tips:

  • Keep bin lids fully closed, this will stop snow and rain from getting in the bin and keep the contents from freezing. Our staff will shake the bins several times to release the contents, but some waste may remain stuck in extreme conditions.
  • Check regularly that your bin lid is not frozen and can be opened easily. If your bin cannot be opened, it cannot be emptied.
  • Try to protect open containers such a garden waste bags from filling with snow. If containers have snow and ice in them we may not be able to empty them.
  • Where possible, please keep areas around your bins free from snow and ice.

If bins are not emptied due to compacted or frozen contents, or if collections have not been made because containers were full of snow and ice, please release the frozen contents and remove the snow and ice before adding more waste. We will not return to collect items frozen to the bottom of your bin.

We will take excess recycling (in a dry cardboard box or clear plastic bag) or glass (in a suitable container) on your next scheduled collection.

Alternatively, if you do not want to hold waste back, you can make use of your local Household Waste and Recycling Centre, if conditions allow.

Hot weather

In hot weather, crews will start bin collections earlier in the day, to reduce the chance of heat exhaustion. 

Please ensure that your bin is out the night before your scheduled collection day, as we will not return if your bin is missed because it is not out when we come to collect it, even if this is before your usual collection time.

Strong winds and rain

If your bin is due to be collected during a storm, please ensure that any additional recycling you’re leaving out is secure and won’t blow away. If you have excess glass, please make sure it’s in a sturdy box that won’t fall apart in the rain.

Once your bin has been emptied, it is more likely to blow over and could fall into the road. Please retrieve it as soon as possible so it is less likely to cause a problem for other residents. If your bin’s not there, please check further down the road as it could have been blown away.

Our crews will be out working in difficult conditions, so please be patient with them. They will do their best to clear up any waste that blows out while bins are emptied, but will not clear litter from bins that have blown over before they arrive.