SOMERSET householders who have had to put up with missed recycling collections for weeks have been warned things won't get better any time soon.

A driver shortage has seen recycling bins left at the side of the road for days as hard-pressed collectors have been unable to keep up.

A Somerset Waste Partnership spokesman said staff and its collections contractor SUEZ are working to get things back on track.

But he added: "There is no quick fix and disruption is likely to continue for some time."

The spokesman said SWP crews make more than 400,000 collections a week, "the vast majority of which continue to happen without a hitch".

He added: "But since the beginning of June, services have suffered, primarily because of the driver shortage.

"The long-term issue has been worsened by Covid, which has delayed driver training and testing, and the departure of many EU drivers.

"The reopening of non-essential retail is increasing demand for drivers and recruitment is especially difficult in Somerset because it is home to many distribution centres.

"Crews have been collecting about 20 per cent more waste since the start of the pandemic.

"That makes it harder to complete rounds and means staff have worked extended hours for a long time.

"Somerset also has some temporary and new drivers working unfamiliar routes, temporary depot arrangements while the Taunton depot is upgraded and some congestion hotspots."

But he said SWP is "confident" missed kerbside collections and garden waste collections will be picked up within two working days of their scheduled removal.

If crews cannot do so within two days, they will return on the following week’s collection day and containers can be taken back inside until then.

Some helpful tips to manage recycling if your collection is delayed:

  • Make extra room by flattening cardboard, squashing plastic bottles (putting lids back on afterwards) and crushing tins and cans (if it is safe to do so).
  • Put extra recycling out in a cardboard box or other suitable container.
  • If waste really has to go, take recycling to one of SWP’s 16 recycling sites. If that is not possible you can put it into your rubbish bin.
  • If your food waste bin is full, add excess to your rubbish bin and it will go to the energy from waste plant in Avonmouth.