Southampton City Council (SCC) has announced that its garden waste collection service will resume next week after a short suspension.
Article continues after this message...
The council suspended the service at the end of March, alongside other measures to safeguard staff and residents and to prioritise services through any issues of staff sickness and self-isolation.
SCC says subscribers to the garden waste collection service will see pickups resume on their normal collection day starting next week Monday 20 April 2020. Customers will receive "a renewal discount for the 2021 service that will reflect the duration of the disruption to this years’ service".
Glass
Kerbside glass collections and the bulky item collection service remain suspended until further notice. This will be kept under review and the aim is to re-introduce the service as soon as it is feasible to do so. You can find a map of council bottle banks, and a button to request a full bank is emptied, from their web page here - although other information on that page may not be correct currently.
Managing your waste during coronavirus
SCC advises that personal waste (such as used tissues) and disposable cleaning cloths can be stored securely within disposable rubbish bags. These bags should be placed into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste. This should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being put in your usual external household waste bin.
Other household waste can be disposed of as normal.
Disinfect your wheelie bin handles
The city council is asking people to help stop the spread of the virus by disinfecting the handles of wheelie bins after they have put them out for collection.
"Wash your hands after you bring your bin back in and disinfect the handles again. Studies have shown that the coronavirus can remain on plastic for up to three days. Following the guidance will help to reduce onward transmission and also protect our Waste Collection operatives. Residents who have a plastic sack collection service are being asked to ensure they wash their hands before putting bag/s out," said an SCC spokesperson.