 Garden waste collections temporarily suspended
Garden waste collections have been temporarily suspended in Wokingham Borough due to Covid-19. Our waste collection contractor Veolia have made the difficult decision to suspend garden waste collections from today (19 January) until Monday (25 January) when Veolia are aiming to restart the service.
This is due to Covid-19 impacting 40 per cent of Veolia’s staff. There have been a small number of confirmed cases but, due to close contacts, a high number of staff are having to self-isolate.
By suspending garden waste Veolia can continue to provide weekly general waste, recycling and food waste collections.
Temporarily stopping garden waste collection services is happening up and down the country, as Covid-19 creates staffing issues for councils and waste contractors around the UK. Many have completely suspended services for extended periods.
We will continue to provide updates to you as the situation changes.
 Keep hold of garden waste until next collection
This is the third time we’ve had to temporarily suspend the garden waste collections this month but this will be a longer pause than previously and there will be no catch up collections this time.
If your garden waste bin is currently at the kerbside and has not been collected by the end of the day, please take it back in and hold onto it until your next regularly scheduled collection day.
At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the council extended the current garden waste service for the 2020 – 2021 contract for an additional month to allow for any disruptions to the service due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Those who are signed up for garden waste are getting two additional collections dates compared to a normal year. It’s hoped most residents are not missed more than once and we continue to work with Veolia to get the services restarted as soon as possible.
You should assume collections will restart on Monday (25 January) and garden waste should be put out if you are due a collection then. You can check collection days on our website.
 Ramping up our fight on fly-tipping
We are ramping up our efforts to fight fly-tipping, operating a zero-tolerance approach against this illegal activity which blights our borough.
Over the past year we received roughly £11,500 through fine income, which we are investing back into our enforcement activities.
We also were successful in court with a historic case dating back to 2018 involving an incident in Hurst. Through legal proceedings the council has secured more than £1,000 against a man who illegally dumped a mattress in the village.
We’ve increased our efforts in historic hotspots, setting-up large earth bunds at Poperinghe Way in Arborfield to stop vehicles from driving up on the grassed areas. We also installed CCTV at this site, as well as along the A329, which is regularly targeted by fly-tippers.
You can report fly-tipping you see via our website.
 Waterproof recycling bags: will they tear easily?
As we get closer to the rollout of our new waterproof recycling bags, each week we’ll be answering some of the most frequently asked questions on them in this newsletter. This week:
Q: We put metal cans in our recycling, so could sharp edges tear the fabric?
A: The bags are tested so there is very low risk of the bags being cut with metal edges. Sharp edged items are still not advised to be put in the recycling. These can pose a health and safety risk to the collection operators.
As we are able to provide updates on the rollout to residents, this newsletter will be the best place for the latest information, so keep your eyes peeled and let your neighbours know to sign up.
 Get rewards for recycling
Are you signed up for Greenredeem? Through them you can get discounts, enter competitions and donate points to help local schools or national charities.
Thousands of residents are already signed up to the service run by our partners and are reaping the benefits. Watch videos, play quizzes and make pledges to be more sustainable, then get rewarded for it.
You can sign up via the Greenredeem website or read their blog for more information.
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