Welsh recycling centres to reopen

Following the slow ease of lockdown measures, the Welsh Government have released a statement regarding the reopening of recycling centres, with the majority of Local Authorities opting to reopen from as early as Tuesday 26th May.

The message to stay at home still remains across Wales, so people wishing to use the recycling centres are being urged to only do so if it is essential and if the waste and/or recycling that they want to get rid of, cannot be picked up by their council's kerbside collections or stored at home.

It has been made clear that anyone with, or in a household with someone displaying symptoms of COVID-19, should not use this service.

All councils have agreed a common set of criteria that must be met before any recycling centres can be considered for reopening. Councils will need to be satisfied that:

• There is an appropriate level of staff available to operate the facilities
• The sites can comply with stringent health and safety requirements including sanitisation, social distancing, and the implications for traffic management
• Trade Unions are being consulted to agree the basis for any reopening and operation of the centres.

Safety remains the top priority, which may affect the opening date for some recycling centres.

The Welsh Government has urged people in Wales to be patient when using the recycling centres. You should check with your local council for details of which centres are open, how to access them, what materials are being collected as well as what kind of social distancing measures are in place.

Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government, Hannah Blythyn, said: "Waste and recycling services are critical public services and we have developed clear guidance with Local Authorities on how they can reopen safely to ensure the wellbeing of staff and the public."