Update regarding potential reopening of Leeds household Waste and Recycling Centres

An update on the potential reopening of Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs) has been provided by Leeds City Council today.

The council is aiming to reopen its main HWRCs next week. This is subject to further details this week from the government regarding which restrictions must remain in place to tackle Covid-19. A final decision on which HWRCs sites are to reopen first will be made and announced shortly based on safety.

A big issue to consider in terms of reopening HWRCs is the need to reduce and manage traffic queues forming outside sites whilst we ensure social distancing is strictly followed inside the facilities. This is for the safety of visitors, local residents and staff. Until further notice, numbers will be restricted, and all visits will need to be pre-booked in a defined time slot. To help ensure there are as many slots as possible, the sites will be open seven days a week with extended opening hours from 8am to 8pm.  Anyone arriving at any of the HWRC sites without proof of booking will be refused entry. Further details regarding how to book and the conditions of bookings will be provided later this week.

With demand expected to be extremely high, residents are politely asked to only book time slots to dispose of waste that is absolutely necessary. The council would like to thank the people of Leeds for their patience and understanding during this extremely challenging time and for the continued fantastic support for all council services, including that provided to our refuse teams.

Further details and updates regarding the reopening of a number of Household Waste and Recycling Centres, and how to book a time slot for a visit once they reopen, will be provided on www.leeds.gov.uk and through social media channels including on Twitter @LCCNews and Facebook at: Leeds City Council. Excellent advice and tips on how to reduce and recycle waste continues to be provided by Zero Waste Leeds through their website at: https://www.zerowasteleeds.org.uk/ and social media accounts.

Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for environment and active lifestyles, said:

“I want to reassure residents that we will reopen our Household Waste and Recycling Centres as soon as it is safe to do so. We have been working with neighbouring councils across West Yorkshire to coordinate our planning and to meet new government guidelines that we expect to be updated later this week.

“We know the coronavirus has presented a number of challenges in terms of how residents manage and dispose of their waste. I would therefore like to offer a big thank you to residents for their continued patience and support in these challenging and unprecedented times.”

Notes to editors:

For refuse updates, please keep an eye on www.leeds.gov.uk, associated social media channels listed in the press release or via The Leeds Bins app which can be downloaded on your mobile.