Winter weather advice

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What can I do with my waste?

• Will excess waste be collected?

  Excess waste can be taken to the Recycling Centre on Eastman Way in Hemel Hempstead or Northbridge Road in Berkhamsted.

  Excess recycling can either be taken to your local neighbourhood recycling site or put out for collection in a sturdy container, such as a cardboard box, by your blue-lidded bin.

• During adverse weather can I leave my bin at the boundary of my property until it is collected?

  Yes. If your bin has not been collected during adverse weather, please leave it out on your boundary and we will try to collect it as soon as possible.

• Will my bins and caddy be collected?
  During times of adverse weather your bin and caddy will still be collected on the same day stated on your collection calendar. You can check your collection dates and view your calendar online if you are still unsure. More updates will be available on our waste and recycling page and via our text alert service as circumstances change.
• I have more waste and/or recycling than I can fit in my bin(s). What can I do with it?

  All domestic waste and recycling can be taken to the Recycling Centres operated by Hertfordshire County Council.  Find out more about the locations and opening times of the centres.

  There are 27 smaller recycling sites across the borough, where you can recycle a range of materials.

  Remember to squash plastic items and tins so that you can fit as many as possible in your blue-lidded wheeled bin. Rinsing your cans and bottles will also mean they don’t smell.

• My caddy was missed due to adverse weather, what do I do with my food waste?

  If your caddy isn’t full, you can just leave your food waste in there until your next collection. In the snow, the temperature outside is probably lower than your fridge, so it’s unlikely to cause any problems or smells.

  You could also compost your food waste in a home compost bin. Please see our home composting page for details of how to get a compost bin if you haven't already got one.

• What should I do if my bin lids are frozen shut?
  Pouring hot water on your bin can make the problem worse, as it may refreeze. Using excessive force can be dangerous, as frozen plastic may snap. If possible, prevent your bin from freezing by placing a piece of cardboard between the bin and its lid, or keep your bin in a garage, or somewhere that gets sunlight in the mornings.
• What should I do if the contents of my bins are frozen?
  If the contents of your bin are frozen, it may be stuck inside your bin, and may not be emptied when your bin is tipped into our refuse vehicles. This can result in your bin not being emptied. It would be helpful if you could try to prevent your bin from freezing, or loosen the contents of your bin before it’s collected.

What is being done?

• Why hasn’t my rubbish and/or recycling been collected? Other vehicles seem to be getting around - why can't you?

  We take the health and safety of the public and our own staff very seriously. Our large refuse lorries can weigh up to 26 tonnes. Small side roads, which are not routinely cleared of snow, can become very icy. It would be dangerous for our refuse lorries to drive down these roads.

  Footpaths can also remain treacherous even when main roads have been cleared. Our staff need to move large refuse and recycling wheeled bins, and may be unable to stop themselves falling if they slipped. This could potentially cause serious injury.

• How do you decide when it’s safe to go out collecting refuse and recycling again during times of adverse weather?
  We regularly review road conditions and take advice from both the police and Met Office. We resume collections as soon as we can.
• Why can’t you use snow chains on refuse collection vehicles?
  Snow chains are only effective on roads where the ice and snow is thick enough. Driving a vehicle fitted with snow chains on roads without a significant cover of ice and snow – for example, roads that have been cleared or treated – could affect the braking and handling of the vehicle. Under the Road Traffic Act 1988, we would be guilty of endangering life and limb by using snow chains on treated roads, and taking the chains on and off whenever the vehicles move from snow covered roads to cleared roads is not a practical solution.
• During adverse weather can smaller vans be used in areas where the trucks can’t be used?
  We have one fleet of vehicles for refuse and recycling collections. These heavy goods vehicles have the equipment to lift and empty bins; smaller vehicles wouldn’t have the necessary equipment to carry out collections.
• Can refuse collection crews be given new boots with crampons on them?
  Our refuse and recycling loaders have been issued with special studs that fit over their boots. This will assist in preventing unnecessary personal accidents. However, roads still need to be free of snow and ice for our vehicles to access them.
• Are you going to grit the roads?

  Road gritting is the responsibility of Hertfordshire County Council. They are the highway authority and are responsible for all highway safety issues. You can find out more about the service they provide on the Hertfordshire County Council website.

  However, our Clean Safe and Green teams will be clearing snow and gritting pavements where possible across the borough.

• Do members of staff get time off when vehicles can’t go out on collections due to adverse weather?
  No. When it’s too dangerous for waste collection vehicles to go out on the roads, staff are redeployed to clear areas of snow and ice. During periods of bad weather, staff work hard to get services back to normal.
• I saw a refuse truck drive past my house – why didn’t it collect my waste?

  The truck may have been full, and needed to be emptied before it could collect any more waste. Recycling is taken to Cupid Green Depot in Hemel Hempstead, while general waste from the grey bins is taken to Waterdale Transfer Station, near Watford. The truck will usually continue on its rounds afterwards, starting from its last collection point.

  It may also be that this vehicle was not scheduled to collect waste from your house. We have a number of vehicles working in the same area at any given time, so another truck should arrive to collect your waste shortly.

  If there is a backlog of waste to be collected, due to adverse weather, it takes longer for the vehicles to get around, and they also fill up more quickly. Please be patient while our crews catch up.

• Will you be doing extra collections to catch up once the weather improves?
  When it’s safe to do so, we’ll resume collections in your area. We’ll do all we can to get collections back on schedule as quickly as possible - please be patient with us.
• Can you use agency staff to get collections back to normal faster after times of adverse weather?
  Agency staff are sometimes used when our service experiences disruption or delays, but it is difficult to source additional staff that are fully trained and have local knowledge of the rounds. Our staff understand that disruption affects our residents, and we work hard to get services back to normal.
• How long will it take for collections to return to normal after adverse weather?

  It depends on how severe the weather is, and how long it lasts. We’ll be posting updates on our waste and recycling page, Facebook and Twitter pages.

  You can also sign up for text message updates on your mobile phone by sending a text to 60777 with the message “DBC waste your house number your postcode” (for example, DBC waste 80 HP4 2DR).

• Can I claim back my Council Tax for non-collections during adverse weather?

  Although collections may not have been made on a scheduled day, the backlog still has to be collected when weather conditions improve, so council tax will not be refunded.

  Although we collect Council Tax, we only keep 11p of every £1 to pay for all of our services. The rest goes to Hertfordshire County Council and Hertfordshire Police Authority. On average, you’re charged less than £1 per week for recycling and refuse collections. More information about your Council Tax.