Set Days Resume for South Tyneside Bin Collections

Scheduled bin collections are due to restart in South Tyneside this week (from Tuesday 1 October) as the Council moves back to providing a normal service.

Residents are being asked to present either their grey household or blue recycling bin on their usual scheduled bin collection day, from tomorrow (Tuesday).

The Council's online bin collection calendar has also been reinstated so residents can check which collection is due, and when, for their postcode. This includes green bins for garden waste subscribers and red lid bins as part of the Whitburn and Marsden trial scheme.

The bin calendar was suspended during industrial action by waste collection crews and subsequent recovery phase which until now has involved a rolling programme of collections to help catch up and support a 'reset' of the service.

Councillor Ernest Gibson, Lead Member for Neighbourhoods and Climate Change at South Tyneside Council, said: "We have been united in our efforts to improve waste services and get the collections back to normal and we want to thank all our residents for their patience while we have worked through the process.

"Having caught up with collections, many residents will have noticed that their bins are already being emptied on their scheduled collection days, with the rolling programme having provided some leeway.

"We are pleased to be returning to set days as before, so residents no longer need to present their bins every day.

"However, it is important to note that waste collection is such a huge operation and matters such as weather or vehicle issues can impact on day-to-day services. While there will be moments of disruption, we are as close to 'normal' as we have been since before industrial action started."

Waste collection crews serve 73,000 households each week, working four days from Tuesday to Friday. Fortnightly collections mean that grey household waste bins are emptied one week and blue recycling bins the next, depending on the area.

An Action Plan agreed by all parties in April 2024 is progressing well. It aims to bring about improvements to service delivery on key areas such as rebalancing the collection rounds, improving PPE, increased engagement and improved communication.

The rolling service arrangements allowed the Council and workforce to work through the route optimisation work, which was a specific request of the crews, as well as to help catch up on collections.

Councillor Gibson said: "While most people will know their set bin collection days from before strike action, the calendar will be particularly useful for residents who have moved into an area or to know exactly which bin should be presented on their next collection day."

For further information about waste and recycling, or to check the household bin collection calendar, visit www.southtyneside.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling