Waste Drop-off Points Return this Weekend

Temporary waste drop-off points will return this weekend to support South Tyneside residents to dispose of their excess household and recyclable waste amid the ongoing industrial action.

This week, members of the GMB and Unite unions have taken further strike action, with no bins collected 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 patience and understanding. We continue to work extremely 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 repeatedly affected by the ongoing action being taken by waste collection crews.

"As we come out of another week of strike action, we are reintroducing the temporary waste drop-off sites to help mitigate the impact on residents and help them dispose of both excess household and recyclable waste."

Skips are being reinstated from this Friday 5 April to Sunday 7 April (inclusive), from 9am to 3pm, at the following locations:

• 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.

Full details of locations and guidance is available at Waste Disposal Industrial Action - South Tyneside Council

On non-strike weeks, waste collection operatives also continue to take action short of strike. This is having a significant impact on day-to-day collections.

The rolling programme of bin collections will continue when crews return to work on Tuesday 9 April, with crews picking up where they left off each working day. Residents are asked to present all bins for collection and leave them out until one is collected. This includes green bins for those subscribed to the garden waste collection service.

Thousands of extra slots have also been opened up at the Recycling Village at Middlefields Industrial Estate while strike action continues. 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 Council spokesperson added: "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."

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 be collected as it does not hold the live information about addresses.

The Council remains committed to working with all parties to find a resolution to end the dispute as swiftly as possible.