21/05/20

Question 1: What does the term ‘essential' mean? I have excess waste at my property and I want to get rid of it.

It is a term which is used by the Government and in this context it means that you should only make an appointment to visit a recycling centre if you are unable to store the items safely in your house or gardenor if the waste presents an environmental hazard.

Question 2: How do I complete the online booking?

If you need to make an appointment, please register through the online booking system on the council's website:www.cardiff.gov.uk/recyclingcentres

This has to be done 24 hours in advance and you will be required to register giving your home address and your vehicle registration details. The online booking system will be available for the public to use from 12.30pm tomorrow - May 22^nd

Question 3: Do I need to bring anything with me to prove my booking and that I am a Cardiff resident?

Yes - you will be required to bring the confirmation email that you will receive when your booking has been confirmed and proof of your current address.

Question 4: What happens if there is a lot of traffic to get into the recycling centre and I miss my booking? Can I still drop the items off?

If the delay is due to operational issues, for example we are moving the skips and this causes a delay, we will honour your booking. The exception is during closing time, as the last entry into the site will be at 4.15pm at the latest. We will be validating bookings whilst vehicles are queuing and any vehicle not booked in will be turned away, this will help us to manage queues and to process vehicles within their allocated booking slot.

Question 5: Why,if I have booked a half-an-hour slot am I only allowed on site for 10 minutes?

The half-an-hour slot is for residents to get onto the site, drop their items off and leave the site. Due to social distancing requirements, only a certain number of people will be allowed on site at any one time, so residents will have to queue patiently.

Question 6: Why are you restricting items that can be brought to the recycling centres?

The recycling centres have had to be re-modelled to ensure social distancing requirements can be met, which means there is less space for skips at the centres. Given this, we have to restrict the items which can be brought to these facilities. 

Question 7: Why have you introduced an online booking system?

We have to restrict the number of people on site to ensure social distancing measures can be followed. We also have to ensure that operational vehicles can access the site, specifically Lamby Way, otherwise kerbside collections could get delayed affecting people across the city. The online booking system will be available for the public to use from 12.30pm - May 22^nd

Question 8: What items can be brought to the recycling centres?

• Cardboard
• Wood
• Garden waste (this waste will need to be placed loose into the skip, if transported in bags you must take your bags away with you)
• Scrap metal
• Small electrical items (kettles, toasters or similar size items)
• Hard plastic

Question 9: What items cannot be brought to the recycling centres?

Computers, mobile phones, batteries, florescent tubes and lightbulbs, rubble, soil, plasterboard, UPVC windows, bikes, carpets, tyres, household waste, household and garden chemicals, mixed glass, plastic packaging, larger electrical appliances, fridges and freezers, TV's and monitors, vegetable oil, used engine oil, car batteries, books and gas bottles.

Question 10: Why can't I bring my black bags and green bags to the recycling centres anymore?

Residents are provided a kerbside service for their green recycling bags and black bin (red striped bags) waste. There shouldn't be a need to bring this waste to the recycling centre.

Question 11: You mention that only one person can leave the vehicle when on site. What happens if someone is elderly or has disabilities, will they receive help?

Our site attendants will be maintaining a two metre distance from residents and their colleagues at all times. We ask residents not to bring any item which they are unable to carry on their own.

If you have an underlying health condition and you are unable to move items by yourself, we will allow two people to leave the vehicle to drop off the items, but this will only be allowed if social distancing can be maintained for the rest of the people on site.

Question 12: Why are you opening different recycling centre on different dates?

Both Lamby Way and Bessemer Close recycling centres have had to be assessed to ensure they are safe for the public to use. Alterations are being made and Bessemer Close will be completed before Lamby Way so we are in a position to open this site earlier.

Question 13: I have bulky items and do not have space to store them at my house. What am I meant to do with them as I can't bring them to a recycling centre?

If you have bulky items and you are unable to store them at your house safely, you can arrange a bulky collection from June 1^st. There is a charge for some items and all of the information on this service and how to book is availablehere.

Question 14: I do not seem to be able to get a booking at a recycling centre, how long is the waiting list?

To ensure that all resident have a fair opportunity to get an appointment, measures have been put in place to ensure that each household is only able to book an appointment twelve times a year. These sites should only be used for essential purposes, but we ask people to be patient while this new way of working beds in.

Question 15: How long will these restrictions go on for?

They will go on for the foreseeable future. Even when lockdown is eased by government, there will still be a requirement to socially distance from others. The measures will continue until further notice.

Question 16: Can I bring soil with any garden waste?

No, soil currently cannot be brought to the recycling centres. When weeding your garden, we ask residents to shake off as much soil as possible.

Question 17: Do I need to wear a face mask and gloves when visiting the site?

The current government advice is for the public to cover their face when in confined spaces such as public transport, so it is a personal choice whether you wear a mask to the centres.

There also isn't a requirement to wear gloves, but we advise residents to wash their hands before and after they drop off their items.

Question 18: Is the Council providing hand sanitiser for the public to use at the sites?

Hand sanitiser will be available at the sites, but we ask residents to use their own if they have some and to wash their hands before they leave for the site and to wash them again as soon as they can after they drop materials off. We cannot guarantee that there will be hand sanitiser available to the public on every occasion.

Question 19: How safe will it be to visit the site?

Detailed risk assessments have been carried out and modifications to these sites have been made. We ask residents to abide by the rules on-site to ensure the safety of our staff and other members of the public. Anyone who has any COVID-19 symptoms or is living in a household with someone with COVID-19 symptoms is being told not to visit the recycling centres.

Question 20: I have quite a lot of waste as I have recently carried out some renovations to my property. What services does the Council offer?

The Council does offer a skip service through our Commercial Waste Team and further information is available on their website -www.cardiffcommercialwaste.co.uk.

The commercial waste team can be contacted by emailc.services@cardiff.gov.ukor by phone 02920 717501.