Bin crews praised for collections in Exeter
Published: 2 April 2020
Waste collection crews in Exeter are receiving messages of goodwill from the people of the city, the man in charge of collections has revealed. He has also stressed how important it is for people to keep recycling during the crisis.
Crews collecting household waste and recycling for Exeter City Council have found Easter eggs left out for them as well as messages of thanks displayed in windows.
Speaking on BBC Radio Devon, Exeter City Council’s Cleansing and Fleet Manager, Simon Hill, said: “We’ve had some lovely feedback from our residents, some people have been clapping as the bin lorries have gone by and we’ve had some lovely messages on social media.
“I think the public really do appreciate the effort that’s gone into keeping this service going,” he added “Our bins crews are doing a very good job of maintaining the scheduled services,” he said.
It has emerged that up to 20% more waste and recycling is being as people are spending nearly all their time at home.
However Simon urged people to consider carefully what they put out for collection during the Coronavirus outbreak or make sure they staggered it over a number of collections.
“If you’re stuck at home it’s tempting to do a DIY project or have a big clear out which does create a lot of extra waste. So one thing people can do to help our crews is think about do they really need to put everything out at once - particularly things like bulky items and DIY waste which that they could hang on to just so the crews get a chance to complete all their collection rounds, that would be really helpful,” he said.
Simon said it was really important to continue with their recycling habits. “The majority of our recycling is processed in the UK, so recycling helps protect jobs and keep the UK economy turning over at this difficult time.
The UK’s Recycling Association has warned that the UK needs a steady supply of paper card for recycling into packaging for essential food and medical supplies.
“There is less cardboard coming from the commercial sector at the moment, so it’s really important to collect as much clean paper and card as possible from homes,” he said.
Refuse and recycling crews are considered essential workers by the government because of the crucial role that they play.
All workers in Exeter follow strict safety guidance issued by the government. Simon said they are all supplied with appropriate equipment like protective gloves, washed hands regularly and were wiping down door handles and steering wheels.
“Because of the nature of the job it’s not possible to keep crew members 2 metres apart when they are in the trucks but we are taking a number of measures to minimise risk, including keeping same crew members together where possible/wiping down surfaces,” he added
Finally, the advice for those self isolating at home. If anyone has personal waste, such as used tissues and disposable cleaning cloths, these 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 into the usual external household waste bin.
The Council would like to thank everyone for their help and co-operation.