We are very sorry that we have not emptied some people's recycling and garden waste bins as a result of today's high temperatures (25 June 2026).
Our crews began work at 5am today and we diverted all recycling and garden staff and available vehicles to help with black bin collections in order to finish them before the temperatures peaked this afternoon. We prioritised black bins as not emptying, particularly in this heat, can create a health hazard.
We are absolutely committed to looking after our crews. Our crews work ten hour days, walk over 12 miles a day, work behind hot vehicles and cannot benefit from shade or breaks like many other people working outdoors. Sunstroke is a real risk and so we made the decision to cancel in line national HSE guidance to protect our staff wellbeing.
We are sorry that this has caused frustration and disruption to people with Thursday garden and recycling collection and are grateful to residents for their understanding.
What happens next:
Recycling bins and bags
We will catch up on this week’s missed recycling bin and bag collections next week. This is because all residents rely on the service and if you live in a smaller property or flat without a garden, storing a build-up of recycling can be challenging.
If your recycling bin and bag were not emptied:
- Please take it back in
- Please put it out again on Monday 29 June
- We will return to empty it at somepoint between Monday and Friday
- If your bins/bags are not emptied by Saturday 4 July, please visit this page again and we'll let you know what to do.
Garden waste (brown bins)
We are sorry but we will not be returning to empty any garden bins we missed today. Instead, we will provide additional collection later in the year to make up for this week’s missed collection. We appreciate this may feel a long way off, but we do collect a high volume of garden waste in the autumn during leaf fall and winter clearances, and we hope this will still be helpful to residents.
If your brown bin was not emptied, please take it back in and put it out on your next scheduled collection day.
About garden waste collections:
While garden waste is a paid subscription service, there are occasions where operational changes are necessary and these are covered in our terms and conditions. We fully understand this will be frustrating, we are very grateful for the understanding and support of our subscribers.
If you are planning any garden work in the coming weeks, you may wish to consider timing it after your bin is next emptied where possible. If you use a gardener or someone who helps maintain your garden, it is worth speaking with them about how any waste generated during their work can be removed as part of their service, until your bin is emptied.
Tomorrow's collections (Friday 26 June):
Due to continued high temperatures, we are cancelling tomorrows (Friday 26 June) garden waste collection.
We will be emptying recycling bins and bags and black bins as normal. As Friday rounds are smaller, we are confident these can be completed safely before peak temperatures.
Thank you for your understanding and support.