Following an increase in fly tipping on to private land during the Covid 19 pandemic, the FUW has welcomed the Welsh Government announcement that the majority of recycling centres in Wales reopened from the 26th May.
The move to reopen some sites will help address a substantial increase in fly-tipping in some areas during the pandemic. Fly-tipping is a crime in Wales and could mean a fixed penalty of up to £400 or prosecution for those convicted. In addition, the majority of farmers face having to clear fly-tipped waste from the farm and paying the associated costs.
The date Recycling Centres will reopen is dependent on staffing levels, capacity and setup of the site and may differ from one Local Authority to another.
Members should check with their council for details of which recycling centres are open, how to access them, what materials are being collected and information of what social distancing measures are in place. Only sites which can be adapted to make sure everybody is safe will be opening, with some centres requiring people to book in advance.
All councils have agreed a common set of criteria that will need to be met before they can consider the safe re-opening of recycling sites. Councils will need to be satisfied that:
- there is an appropriate level of staff available to operate the facilities.
- the sites can comply with stringent health and safety requirements including sanitisation, social distancing and the implications for traffic management.
- trade unions are being consulted to agree the basis for any reopening and operation of the centres.