Put your black bin out on your normal collection day…
After two weeks of strike action by Unite, members of the trade union are expected to return to work from Monday, September 18.
With the expectation that staffing levels will be temporarily back to normal, Wrexham Council is hoping to make up lost ground and has a simple message for local households…
- Please put your black bins and recycling out on your normal collection day (even if this isn’t your normal week for black bins), as our plan is to ensure we empty all black bins and recycling containers (including food waste) during the week commencing September 18.
- Please don’t put your green bins out, as unfortunately we won’t be able to collect garden waste.
The strike has affected bin collections around the county borough, with refuse crews left extremely short-handed and bin wagons struggling to leave the depot at times, due to large numbers of protestors.
Although next week is only a temporary reprieve, with Unite members set to strike for a further three weeks from September 25, it will provide a chance for refuse crews to catch up wherever possible.
Our Household Recycling Centres will also be open (with opening hours extended to 8pm for all sites), and we have seen a significant increase in the amount of waste being taken to these sites over the last week or so.
Thank you to those of you who have been doing this, and we would ask you to continue if you can, as it will help keep waste and recycling levels down.
Councillor Hugh Jones, Wrexham Council’s Lead Member for Environment, said: “We’ll be using next week to prioritise black bin and recycling collections, and although we can’t guarantee we’ll get to everyone, we’re confident we’ll get to most households.
“Unfortunately, as we prioritise black bins, we won’t have the resources to also collect garden waste, and we understand that many people will be frustrated about this. However, we have to concentrate on black bins and recycling, as these will be causing the most concern.
“We’re working hard to manage services in difficult circumstances, and would like to remind people of our tips for reducing and managing waste, and thank everyone for their continued patience.”
The next round of strike action is set to run from September 25 until October 15, and the council will issue further advice to households next week.
