Suffolk recycling centres will re-open this week by appointment only. A new online booking system will be in place when Suffolkâs Recycling Centres re-open on Thursday, May 14th. Suffolk County Council say that the booking system is “necessary to help reduce traffic disruption and queueing on roads around the sites and help manage additional demand on the waste sites”. There are also new temporary restrictions and guidelines in place at all sites to support the safety of staff and members of the public.
Suffolk County Council has been working with its contractor FCC Environment to put plans in place to re-open all eleven sites to make sure that visits to the Recycling Centres are as safe as possible for residents and staff.
People will need to book a time online when they can arrive and dispose of their waste. If you do not have an appointment, you will be denied access and turned away from the site.
Those who are shielding or at greatest risk of Covid-19 should continue to follow Government guidance and are being told not visit a Recycling Centre.
There will be a phased approach to opening the sites fully in order to ease congestion and prioritise residents. There will also be a set of new temporary rules, which residents must check before arriving at the sites.
During phase one, these temporary rules include:
⢠No access to site without pre-booking
⢠Cars and pedestrians only – no vans, trailers or commercial-type vehicles
⢠One adult to unload, unless 2 adults needed for heavy items
⢠No staff assistance to unload vehicles
⢠No chargeable waste accepted (soil, rubble, hardcore or plasterboard)
⢠No trade waste
⢠No textiles or re-use items accepted
The booking system is designed to support social distancing by ensuring that only a safe number of visitors can access the sites at any one time. It will also help reduce waiting times for visitors and manage traffic to avoid a dangerous build-up of cars on the highway.
The booking site will be live from 3pm Tuesday 12th May, with the first appointments being made for Thursday. To make a booking, please visit www.suffolk.gov.uk/recyclingcentres or call 0345 606 6067. In order to control the queues residents without a booking will not be able to enter the site. Residents must not arrive on site more than 5 minutes before their allocated time.
Paul West, Cabinet Member for Waste said: âWe want to thank all Suffolk residents for bearing with us whilst the Recycling Centres have been closed.
âWhen social distancing and the lockdown was introduced by the Government, a decision was made to temporarily close the centres across Suffolk. This was in line with other sites across the UK.
âThe new pre-booking system is designed to keep the public and staff as safe as possible on our sites. This controlled approach to the re-opening the centres will reduce waiting times as well as traffic congestion. We realise that there will be a large demand for appointments and ask residents to be patient during the first few weeks and only bring waste or recycling that cannot be safely stored at home.
âIn the meantime, please donât be tempted to dump or fly-tip the waste that would in normal times go to the Recycling Centres. This remains a criminal offence and prosecutions will be sought.â