Driver shortages, bad parking and more recycling - Council's reasons why Calderdale collections are being missed

The national HGV driver shortage is having an impact on service delivery across the country and here in Calderdale the Council and Suez have said.

Recycling collections are not being made on their scheduled day due to driver shortages

The Council has also said that there is significantly more recycling being generated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and there have been access issues on some roads due to parked cars as more people work from home.

Councillor Tim Swift, Calderdale Council’s Leader, said: “Like councils up and down the country, some of our recycling collections are disrupted due to the nationwide HGV driver shortage and large volumes of recycling.

“Council and SUEZ teams continue to do an amazing job in very challenging circumstances. They have shown great resilience and have been there for residents throughout the pandemic. They continue to go above and beyond to collect waste and recycling as regularly as possible, including working at weekends.

“We are sorry that it’s not always possible to make every recycling collection every day at the moment due to the national issues affecting everyone. We know how frustrating this can be. We prepare for situations like these and we’re working to our contingency plans to minimise disruption as much as possible. Please bear with us and be assured that we will get to your recycling as soon as we can.”

SUEZ and Calderdale Council are making three appeals to residents:

If your recycling isn’t collected on your scheduled day, take your containers back onto your property and place them out the following week on your next scheduled collection day. It’s not always possible for crews to return earlier than this, as they need to keep overall disruption to a minimum and avoid any home being missed for two consecutive weeks. The Council and SUEZ say they know where work is outstanding, so there is no need to report missed collections unless this has happened two consecutive times. It is also possible to take your waste and recycling to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.

Park carefully, avoiding parking around junctions or on both sides of narrow streets, and folding in wing mirrors if parking on the road to allow access for waste vehicles

If you are a qualified driver and are not currently working, or you would like to do some extra work, the council is asking you to come forward and share your skills to help out with waste and recycling collections.

Nick Browning, General Manager at SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, said: “Both SUEZ and Calderdale Council are working incredibly hard to collect waste and recycling despite the nationwide HGV driver shortage and we thank residents for their patience.

“We encourage qualified drivers to apply to join us. Working in recycling not only keeps you fit and helps the environment, but you’ll be working as part of a team with stable hours and no working away from home or overnight stays to contend with.”