South Gloucestershire Council’s Sort It recycling centre in Station Road, Little Stoke, is set to reopen on Monday (31st July 2023) as a consequence of industrial action being “suspended”.
Waste and recycling services in the district, which are run by SUEZ under contract to the council, have been impacted by strike action which began on Monday 12th June and has continued to date, barring a week’s pause in the week commencing Monday 19th June.
The Little Stoke site has been temporarily closed since Monday 26th June, with the council saying this was necessary “due to the reduced workforce”, although its three other Sort It sites have remained open.
Kerbside collections of garden waste, food waste and recycling have been fully suspended since Monday 26th June. But now Unite the Union says it will be pausing industrial action for three days (starting Monday 31st July) while it ballots its members on an improved pay offer from SUEZ.
Normal services resumed
South Gloucestershire Council has confirmed that the normal schedule of kerbside collections will resume on Monday 31st July 2023 and residents are advised to put their waste and recycling out on their usual collection day.
From the same date, all four Sort It centres will resume normal opening hours of 8.30am to 4.30pm every day of the week.
Temporary ‘bring banks’ that the council set up at a number of locations including Parkway North Park & Ride and North Way, Filton, ceased operating last Friday (28th July 2023).
Restrictions at Little Stoke
Residents are reminded that the Little Stoke Sort It centre does not accept recycling [of the type normally collected at the kerbside]. A list of the types of materials accepted at Little Stoke can be found on this webpage: Find a tip or recycling centre (SGC)
As garden waste (green bin) collections have been suspended for many weeks, it is thought likely that the reopened Little Stoke site will be popular with residents who have been storing this category of waste at home rather than embarking on an approximately 15-mile round trip to one of the other Sort It centres that have remained open.
A council spokesperson warned:
“If there are long queues, [at the Sort It site] we may have to close the gates early to enable everyone to get round and empty their containers before the site shuts. This will be reviewed daily and only implemented if necessary.”
N.B. All information correct at the time of publication. Readers are advised to check the current service status page on the SGC website before travelling:
