Queues formed at local waste and recycling centres as tips started reopening in May, two months after they closed at the start of the lockdown.
As first was going to press, the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) reported that almost all local authorities expected to have opened about 60 per cent of their household waste and recycling centres (HWCs) by the middle of May, with more openings planned thereafter.
There was a notable change to food waste collections with 90 per cent of responding councils reporting collections operating normally, up from 68 per cent in ADEPT’s previous weekly survey. Similarly, only 22 per cent of councils had not resumed bulky waste collections, with only 8 per cent not operating garden waste collections as normal.
The Government has issued guidance on re-opening HWCs, and regulations have been amended to allow people to travel to them under any circumstance, and not just where waste stored at home presents a risk of injury or to public health.
Cllr David Renard, the LGA’s Environment Spokesman, said: “The decision to reopen sites will be taken by individual councils based on risk assessments in their area.
“This will be a gradual process based on whether they have enough staff, social distancing measures are in place to protect workers and members of the public, and waste staff are given personal protective equipment to reduce the risk of infection and provide reassurance.”