Garden waste service to resume from Monday 16 August

Published: 12 August 2021

Garden waste collections in Exeter will start up again from Monday 16 August, the City Council has confirmed.

The service had to be suspended for eight working days as a result of the current HGV driver shortage sweeping the country, caused largely by Covid-19 and self-isolation rules. Customers had their hire period extended to make up for the suspension.

Cllr David Harvey, Lead Councillor for City Management thanked garden waste collection customers for their patience and understanding. He also thanked office staff who had “swapped their office clothes for boots and overalls” to help drive vehicles and keep the household rubbish and recycling collections going.

“I can’t praise them highly enough,” he said of the office staff who had jumped to the rescue, “they have been absolutely fantastic.

During the short suspension of the brown bin service, the City Council prioritised its collections of household and recycling materials to ensure the city kept moving and rubbish free.

Cllr Harvey said a number of office staff who had qualifications for driving larger vehicles, as they had been loaders or drivers previously, were more than happy to pitch in with offers of help.

“Our staff have been tremendous - we haven’t lost one single round all through the pandemic until this recent suspension of garden waste collections,” he added.

“I really have to pay tribute to those staff who have swapped their office clothes for boots and overalls and helped out. They have done a fantastic job.”