Bin collections during bad weather

There are many reasons why we may decide to delay bin collections.

We never decide this lightly and is usually down to a mixture of the following:

• An increase in parked cars on streets during bad weather can stop the bin lorries getting into or out of streets safely.
• There could be more rubbish and recycling for us to collect because we haven't been able to collect due to the severe weather conditions. This means it could take us significantly longer to collect all the waste. We'll do our very best to empty your bins with the resources we have and aim to get your collection service back to normal as quickly as possible.
• We must ensure it's safe for our collection crew to collect your bins. We have a duty of care for everyone we employ.
• Our bin lorries are large and extremely heavy vehicles. On an icy road, they could pose a risk to other vehicles as well as our bin crews if conditions become severe.
• If a bin lorry gets stuck, it can require considerable time, effort and cost to recover. Due to the size and weight of the lorries, it requires specialist equipment to get them back on the road. The collections for the rest of the day are then disrupted and this could also cause further delays to traffic while the lorry is being recovered.
• In severe fog, it can be dangerous for us to operate the bin lorries because we're not able to see well. It's unsafe for staff to empty bins behind the lorry when the driver can't see where they are. It's also hazardous for us to drive heavy vehicles, such as our bin lorries, when visibility is severely reduced.

My road is clear, why haven't you collected my bin?

While road conditions where you live may be clear, they may still be unsafe in other locations. We must consider conditions on the whole collection route when making a decision on whether to collect bins.

Our bin lorry depot is based in Heywood and we must be able to drive the lorries safely from the depot to your street and then to the waste and recycling centres.