Bulky waste collection backlog raises fears over fly-tipping

People have been facing delays of more than six weeks when waiting for council officers to collect bulky waste items from their homes.
The council is hoping people will donate their unwanted goods to charity shops and avoid flytipping.The council is hoping people will donate their unwanted goods to charity shops and avoid flytipping.
The council is hoping people will donate their unwanted goods to charity shops and avoid flytipping.

Wakefield Council is asking householders to donate unwanted items to charity because of a backlog of collections of old mattresses, beds and fridges.

Coun Maureen Cummings, Wakefield Council’s cabinet member for environment and communities, said: “We are currently reviewing the service, to look at how we can reduce waiting times.

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“Where possible, we encourage residents to use alternative ways of dispensing with unused items by donating them to charities or re-using them if at all possible

“An alternative may be to take their items, free of charge, to any of the Household Waste Recycling Centres that are all open seven days per week.” The district council’s bulky waste service charges £20 at time to collect up the three items.

A report to Wednesday’s meeting of the council’s Communities and Environment overview and scrutiny committee said: “The committee expressed concerns relating to the delays in having bulky waste collected with current waiting times exceeding six weeks and the potential impact this would have on fly-tipping.”

For more information about waste collection log on to www.wakefield.gov.uk/recycling