Chiltern and Wycombe food waste collections to restart
Collections were suspended in August due to driver shortage.
Separate Chiltern and Wycombe area food waste collections are to restart from 13th of December.
A shortage of HGV drivers, coupled with Covid-related sickness amongst crews, led to the service being temporarily suspended in August. During the suspension, food waste was instead being collected as general rubbish.
Buckinghamshire council’s waste contractor has now been able to fill the vacancies through incentives to attract new staff and retain current employees.
From the 13th of December, food waste will be once again collected by separate teams. During the suspension, food waste was taken along with general waste to the Greatmoor Energy from Waste plant for incineration, which generated electricity in the process. The council say that less than 0.1% of Buckinghamshire’s waste is sent to landfill.
Cllr Peter Strachan, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Environment, said he was grateful for residents cooperation:
“Thank you to residents in the Chiltern and Wycombe areas for your patience while we dealt with the impact of the nationwide shortage of HGV drivers. It was clear during this time that many households were as keen as the council to see the return of the separate food waste collections as soon as possible. Your cooperation with these interim arrangements, whilst not ideal, has been appreciated. I welcome the efforts taken by all involved which have enabled us to return to separate food waste collections."