Extra teams brought in to catch up on Sandwell bin collections after Covid absences
Extra teams have been drafted in to help with the current delays to bin collections in Sandwell – caused by Covid-related staff absences.
Sandwell Council and its environment partner Serco have arrange the extra crews to help catch up over the weekend and into the evenings.
Councillor Maria Crompton, the authority's deputy leader, said: "We are very sorry if your collections have been affected by the current delays due to Covid-19-related staff absences and the teams at Serco have arranged for extra crews to help catch up on missed bins.
“Crews are continuing to empty tens of thousands of bins each day and many have been working beyond their usual shift times to help catch up, and extra teams will now be working longer into the evenings and collections will be taking place on both Saturday and Sunday this weekend.
“We hope that this will enable waste services to get back in line with scheduled collections and reduce the delays people are experiencing as quickly as possible.
“Please continue to bear with teams while they catch up. If the bins in your street are not collected on your usual day, please leave your full bin at the edge of the property until it has been emptied. They will get to them as soon as possible.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the delays and thank everyone for their patience, understanding and ongoing support for the crews as we continue to deal with challenges as a result of the pandemic.”
