It is taking longer for crews to complete their rounds as:

• there is more waste produced as people stay at home…
• leading to more trips during individual rounds to offload the waste
• the teams are also observing social distancing guidance during the rounds
• and the departures from the depot are also being spaced out to support this guidance too

Due to collections taking longer, we need to start some rounds earlier. Please place bins out for collection the evening before your scheduled collection day, or by 6.15am on your collection day as per your waste calendar. This is 45 minutes earlier than the usual time to allow the staff to stagger their start times and reduce their contact with others.

If you or someone in your household has COVID-19 – or shows symptoms of COVID-19 - please help us prevent the spread of the virus by taking the following steps with materials that may be contaminated, such as waste tissues, disposable cloths or wipes used to clean surfaces.

• Step one – Place materials into a plastic bag and tie it when full
• Step two - Once the bag is full, double bag it in a second bin bag or plastic bag and tie it up.
• Step three - Store the bags for 72 hours (three days) and then place them in your normal wheeled bin.

If you don't receive a wheeled bin collection, please make sure a council-issued bag label is placed on the outside of the double-bagged waste.

For more information, visit: www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection#cleaning-and-disposal-of-waste

Please take extra care to disinfect or clean the handle of your wheeled bin or box when you put it out and after collection.

This is an extra precaution for the crews and you to reduce the risk of passing any infection

Additional guidance:

• Continue to place your wheeled bin, glass box or bag out at your normal collection point.
•  Please collect your wheeled bin, glass box or bag as soon as possible following the collection.

 Hampshire County Council Household Waste Recycling Centres are all closed but please do not put any of the following items in your refuse bin:

• Stones or brick rubble
• DIY materials
•  Paint / chemicals or oil
• Hot ashes
• Clinical waste (we continue to provide a free domestic service for this)
• Commercial, trade or industrial waste
• Scrap metal
• Poisonous or noxious waste
• Garden waste
• Electrical products

You can give your unwanted clothes, towels, linen and shoes a new lease of life by taking them along to one of the 19 textile banks across our district.
The district’s textile banks are managed by the Salvation Army, find your nearest clothing bank here. 

• Paper
• Cardboard
• Plastic bottles
• Tins & Cans
• Aerosols

Remember the golden rule.... all recycling placed in the recycling bin needs to be clean, dry and loose!

Paper	Yes please Newspapers Magazines Junk mail Computer paper Envelopes, including windowed envelopes Catalogues and directories Paper bags Greeting cards	No thanks Shredded paper Gift wrap Plastic coated (laminated) paper Paper towels, tissues and napkins Wall paper
Cardboard	Yes please Cereal packets Food boxes Greetings cards Kitchen and toilet roll holders Corrugated card	No thanks Any plastic or foam packaging left inside cardboard boxes. Please dispose of this in the black bin. Pizza boxes due to food debris
Plastic bottles	Yes please Food and drink bottles e.g. milk, drink bottles, shampoo bottles and cleaning product bottles. Lids and labels can be left on. Please empty any liquid content and squash the bottle before replacing the lid. Detergent bottles e.g. washing up liquid, cleaning fluids, bleach and fabric softener Toiletries e.g. shampoo, shower gel and liquid soap	No thanks Bottles containing liquid or bottles not empty Spray and pump dispensers
Tins and Cans	Yes please Food tins including pet food tins Drinks cans Sweet and biscuit tins	No thanks Paint tins Partially full food/pet food tins or dirty tins  Other metals or metal packaging
Aerosols	Yes please Food e.g., cream and oil Deodorant Hairspray	No thanks Lids Full or partially full aerosols

Plastic carrier bags or sacks	You don't need to bag your recycling up just place it in the green bin clean, dry and loose
Plastic pots, tubs and trays	The types of plastic used to make these items cannot be successfully sorted by the equipment at the Material Recovery Facility. Most containers can be reused in the home to store food leftovers etc..
Glass	Glass bottles and jars can go in the local bottle bank. To locate your nearest site please click on the blue link.
Textiles, clothes and shoes	These can be recycled at local bring sites – Look out for the blue bins! To locate your nearest site click on the blue link.
Shredded paper	Unfortunately the paper strands are to small to sort at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and shredding shortens the length of the fibres making it less desirable for paper companies. Shredded paper can be used in composting to absorb water or reused as packaging or animal bedding.
Aluminium foil	Foil is often soiled with food which can reduce the quality of the materials in the recycling bin, especially paper. Aluminium foil can be taken to local recycling centres in the district (not run by WCC) or placed in your black bin. To find your nearest site please click on the blue link.
Food and drinks cartons	Food and drinks cartons such as those made by Tetra Pak cannot be sorted at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF)  These can be placed in the black bin or can be recycled at local recycling centres in Hampshire, including Cattle Market carpark in Winchester. To locate your nearest site please click on the blue link.
Polystyrene	Polystyrene can be disposed of in the black bin.

Want to know what those symbols on packaging mean? Find out more about understanding recycling labels

We want you to recycle as much as you can. Our collection teams will always collect extra recycling which can be placed in a clear sack next to your green bin, or cardboard when flattened, dry & stacked alongside the bin.

If you are regularly running out of space in your green recycling bin and need an additional one, or you need a new one, you can buy one by contacting Biffa directly on 01962 670 706 to arrange for payment and delivery of the new bin. The current cost of a bin is £31.41 including delivery.

Although the majority of our recycling bins are green, some people have a smaller black bin that they use for recycling material – these ones have an embossed recycling logo on the lid. Anyone with a black recycling bin can request a swap to a larger replacement green bin by contacting our customer services team on 0300 300 0013.