South Staffordshire Council is running behind with waste and recycling collection due to a staff absence rate of 40 per cent, primarily from Covid-19 related reasons.
Recycling and waste collections have been delayed, following a backlog of work as a result of last week’s weather and an excess of staff shortages.
A statement from the council revealed that many of the workforce missing from work have been requested to self-isolate by the NHS Test and Trace system.
Residents in the South Staffordshire area have been told to leave their grey bins at collection points, where they will be collected a day later than scheduled. Residents can also add an additional two bags of waste to account for the extra waste caused by the delay.
Grey bins are currently being prioritised, while the Council has stated that blue bins should be taken back inside until the next collection day in two weeks.
The news comes after the Waste Industry Safety and Health Forum (WISH) declared it had found no Covid-19 outbreaks in waste and recycling workplaces.
There has been growing demand for waste service staff to be classified as “essential” workers due to the risk of more waste disruption taking place in more areas.
South Staffordshire Council is one of many local authorities that has waste collected by a private company, Biffa, rather than using in-house services.
The question of whether to privatise waste services has been heavily debated within the industry, with the Labour Party encouraging councils to go in-house and the Environmental Services Association (ESA) responding that private companies save money and bring higher recycling rates.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.