Weekly recycling bin collections could be stopped as stretched councils struggle to keep up with coronavirus.
New guidance published by the Government today urges councils to prioritise black bin and food waste collection during the pandemic.
It comes amid reports that several councils have suspended or reduced collections of garden waste, recycling and bulky items.
Peterborough council today announced it was transferring staff from bulky waste collections to black bin refuse and recycling collection to cope with the pressure from Covid-19.
Councillor Marco Cereste, cabinet member for waste at Peterborough City Council, said: “This is not a decision we take lightly and we are not alone as a city in doing this. At a time when everyone is quite rightly staying at home to protect the NHS, it is essential that we continue collecting people’s bins."
He added: "The Covid-19 outbreak means some of our staff are self-isolating and so we need to redeploy those who are working on our bulky waste collection to keep this vital service for residents running."
The council said they would revisit the suspension in four weeks.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said the new guidelines were temporary, and added that the government is "is monitoring developments on waste services provision with local authorities and the waste sector."
Black bins food waste are considered "high" priority.
The government says these should be maintained because a build up of rotting waste can pose a risk to human health.
Fortnightly recycling services are considered 'medium' priority, with councils urged to consider reducing the frequency of collections rather than stopping them entirely.
They suggest reducing weekly recycling collections to fortnightly.
And they suggest stopping garden waste collections temporarily.
The guidance also suggests collections of bulky items like fridges and furniture should be temporarily ceased.
But clinical waste collections, collections from care homes and collections from vulnerable people should continue.
A statement announcing the guidelines on the DEFRA website said: "We recognise that the current coronavirus pandemic is presenting some serious challenges and therefore appreciate and expect that local authorities will have to make decisions where necessary to change or close services temporarily, bearing in mind their statutory duties."
