Temporary waste drop-off sites to be reintroduced in South Tyneside ahead of further bin strikes

South Tyneside Council has confirmed that temporary waste drop-off sites will be reinstated in the borough ahead of further bin strikes.

Residents are reminded that there will be no bin collections next week (Tuesday, March 19, to Friday, March 22, inclusive) due to industrial action being taken by waste collection crews.

It will be the sixth wave of industrial action by members of the GMB and Unite unions, with further industrial action also expected from Tuesday, April 2 until Friday, April 5.

South Tyneside Council has stated that when crews return to work on Tuesday, March 26, they will be prioritising general waste collections and residents should present only their grey household waste bin from Tuesday until Friday, March 29.

The Council's online bin collection calendar will also be suspended.

A South Tyneside Council spokesperson said: “We understand how frustrating and challenging the situation is for all our residents and thank everyone for their continued patience. We are working hard to mitigate the impact of the strikes as much as we can.

“We are aware of the concerns relating to the build-up of waste and that residents are being affected by the ongoing action short of strike taken by waste collection crews.

“General waste presents a greater public health risk which is why we are asking all residents to present their grey household waste bin only for collection every day, from Tuesday 26 to Friday 29 March, until it is collected.

“We are also reintroducing temporary weekend waste drop-off sites, this time to help residents dispose of both excess household and recyclable waste.”

To help reduce the impact of the ongoing action, temporary waste drop-off sites, which were first used in January, are being reinstated from Friday to Sunday, inclusive, for an initial two-week period.

The sites will operate from 9am to 3pm, from Friday, March 15 to Sunday, March 17 and again from Friday, March 22 to Sunday, March 24.

The temporary waste drop-off sites will be available at:

• Boldon Colliery – car park at The Shack (general waste skip).
• Hebburn – Hebburn Central car park to the side (general waste skip).
• Hebburn – Clegwell Community Association, Mountbatten Avenue (one general waste and one recycling skip).
• Jarrow – Hedworthfield Community Association, Cornhill (pedestrian access only; one general waste skip and one recycling skip).
• South Shields – car park at rear of shops on Centenary Avenue (one general waste skip).
• South Shields – Chuter Ede, Galsworthy Road (one general waste and one recycling skip).
• South Shields – One Trinity Green side car park (one general waste skip).
• South Shields – Winchester Street car park (one general waste skip).
• Whitburn – car park behind Latimers (one general waste and one recycling skip).

Receive a news round-up, as well as breaking news alerts, when you sign up to the Shields Gazette’s newsletters

The temporary waste drop-off points are for bagged domestic household waste only and should not be used for the disposal of trade waste due to the skips having to be hand sorted at the Council's transfer station.

This includes materials such as asbestos, DIY waste and rubble, medical, flammable or hazardous materials, gas bottles or furniture items.

South Tyneside Council has also reminded residents that the recycling drop-off points are for the dry mixed recyclable materials that they would normally dispose of in their blue recycling bins only.

No plastic bags or black sacks will be accepted.

Full skips at the sites will be exchanged for an empty skip throughout the day. If the skips are full, residents are asked not to leave waste at the side of them and to return later.

There will be no skips left in place overnight.

The number of booking slots at the Recycling Village at Middlefields Industrial Estate has also been increased to more than 2,000 a week.

To book a slot visit www.southtyneside.gov.uk/recyclingvillage.