Homeowners are being urged to take more care with what they put out for recycling - after a large knife blade was left out for collection crews.
The warning comes after crews narrowly avoided injury after the blade of a large knife was discovered in a green box during collections across North Somerset on Friday.
A plea was put out by recycling teams after the find, urging people to take more care over what goes in the green boxes.
The post read: “Please be careful not to put dangerous items out in your recycling boxes.
“Anything sharp like knives or broken glass are a hazard to crews.
“This sharp knife was found in a box by crews on Friday - luckily they spotted it before anyone was injured.”
This is not the first time knives and other sharp implements have been put out in recycling boxes.
Eight sharp knives were found in two recycling boxes over a few days last summer.
Authority bosses say sharp items put crews at risk of harm.
It is thought the increase in more unusual items being left out for collection comes as people stuck at home during lockdown spend time clearing out, tidying and organising their properties.
A council spokesman said: “Please keep our crew safe and do not put knives or other sharp objects in recycling boxes."
Crews have also been faced with potentially contaminated items in recycling boxes during the pandemic.
North Somerset Council posted the photo on social media of a green box filled with used tissues.
To get breaking news like this straight to your inbox, click here
Council bosses said the used tissues could prove a health hazard to crews as they could be contaminated with the virus and warned boxes containing waste of that kind would not be collected.
Any issued tissues should be double bagged and left for 72 hours (three full days) before they are put in a black bin for collection.
