Waste drop off sites start to re-open from Monday with restrictions

Commercial waste and recycling sites will reopen on Monday 27 April to accept materials from businesses re-commencing operations in line with the government's new guidance.

The Waste Transfer Station has been operating as normal throughout the lockdown for general waste, food and glass from households and essential businesses.

However, the Longue Hougue Land Reclamation site and Mont Cuet for commercial green waste and hazardous waste have been closed.

Both will re-open on Monday 27 April.

Mont Cuet will be open for dropping off commercial green waste under normal opening hours, between 8am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Delivery of hazardous waste and waste exempt from the Waste Transfer Station will need to be on an appointment only basis.

Enquiries should be directed in the first instance to States Works on 246263.

The Longue Hougue Land Reclamation site will operate limited hours between 8am and 12.30pm Monday to Friday. This is because the demand for disposal of inert waste is expected to be lower due to the ongoing operational restrictions on building companies.

All sites will be open to account holders only to reduce the need for contact between customers and site staff in relation to handling cash and card payments.

Any companies requiring access to these sites who do not already have an account can set one up by contacting States Works on 246263.

Also from Monday 27 April, islanders will be able to drop off their garden waste again, and certain other recyclables from next Thursday.

Extra drop off sites will be provided for garden material, in addition to the normal Chouet green waste, to help manage the initial peak that is expected and to reduce travel requirements for islanders.

Measures will be in place to ensure islanders adhere to current social distancing guidelines.

Staff will manage traffic flows on site at the new temporary drop off point at Longue Hougue and there are due to be two more unmanned drop off points in the south of the island which will be confirmed later this week.

The three temporary sites will operate for two weeks.

The Household Waste and Recycling Centre at Longue Hougue will reopen on Thursday 30 April, but with restrictions and measures in place to ensure the safety of customers and site staff.

It will only be open to islanders to drop off scrap metal, rigid plastics, electrical equipment and inert waste. There will also be a limit on the number of customers allowed onto the site at any one time.

Items that can disposed of via the kerbside collections, batteries, domestic appliances or those that need to be paid for, such as black bags, wooden/material furniture, mattresses, will not be accepted because the site has to be re-organised, so that islanders can safely drop off the materials that are being maintained.

Items suitable for re-use cannot be dropped off at this stage and islanders are encouraged to keep hold of these items for now.

Guernsey Waste operations manager Sarah Robinson recognised many people had been busy in the garden during lockdown so will be pleased that some sites are re-opening.

'We have carefully chosen the items that we can accept at the HWRC to those that are more difficult to keep hold of due to their size and nature, and for which there is no kerbside collections.'

Operations will be kept under review and other materials will be accepted when it is safe to do so.

The Chouet site will be operate its normal opening hours of 8am to 4pm Monday to Saturday and 8am to noon on Sundays. Those will also apply to the temporary drop off point at Longue Hougue.

The HWRC will have the same opening hours, including Thursdays, when it is normally shut to assist with the extra demand.

Queues are to be expected and that site staff will be unable to assist them in unloading their vehicles. Guernsey Waste would encourage anyone who can hold on to items for a little longer to avoid using the sites for the first few days, to help manage demand.