Thank you to our cleansing and recycling staff
Published: 27 March 2020
In his regular feature, Denis the Dustcart invited everyone to thank our bin crews, Materials Reclamation Facility staff and all those putting in such fantastic efforts to keep Exeter’s rubbish and recycling collections going during these extraordinary, challenging times.
You can follow Denis on his Facebook page to keep up with information about Recycling issues.
There are a lot of people working very hard in difficult circumstances to keep things going at the moment. Theirs are jobs that we can’t do without, and we are all very grateful to them.
Please send your message to them in the comments below and I will pass it on. It would mean a lot to them to know how much they are appreciated!
There are things we can all do to help them to keep helping us through this:
- Follow the government advice on waste disposal, if you are experiencing symptoms of coronavirus. Keep up-to-date with our new page: https://exeter.gov.uk/bins-and-recycling/bin-collections/coronavirus-and-waste-guidance/
- Clean the handles of your wheelie bin or box before you put it out for collection and when you bring it back in. Our crews wear gloves, but they still visit over a thousand properties per day.
- Park considerately. With more people staying at home, there are more cars on the streets. Make sure there’s room for our bin lorries (and emergency vehicles) to pass. Parking on corners is particularly important to avoid.
- Please bear in mind that we are operating at the limit of our capacity and cannot take any extra rubbish you put out. In these extraordinary times, we all need to manage our own waste more effectively than ever.
Split bags in the street may pose a significant health and safety risk. The Council’s ability to clear such waste may be limited as the country works to supress this virus. Additionally, it’s vital that we don’t overburden the Energy from Waste plant.
So, if you want to use this time at home to do a bit of a tidy-up, please don’t overfill your bin. Remember: quality items can be donated once charity shops open again, or could be passed on to friends and family when visiting is permitted again. Otherwise, hold on to the waste for a bit.
- Keep recycling! It helps keep the local economy going (90% of what we sort is recycled in the UK), but it will also stop your black bin from becoming overfilled.
- Panic-buying is generating a lot of extra food waste across Devon. While Exeter doesn’t yet have a food waste collection service, this situation does run the risk of filling up black bins more quickly. Wasting food is bad for the environment and the household economy at any time, but it’s especially important to avoid it currently. And, of course, panic buying groceries leaves less produce and fewer products on the shelves for those who really need them.
Recycle Devon has published an online recipe book for using up leftovers. Check it out for lots of inspiration…and it’ll save you a packet, too: https://www.recycledevon.org/love-food-hate-waste/Have-your-food-and-eat-it-Recipe-Book.html?page=1