Cheshire East Council has postponed the rollout of weekly food waste collections due to driver shortages and vehicle breakdowns.
The council had planned to launch the service by late autumn, but shortages of HGV drivers and loading staff, along with vehicle breakdowns, have led to more missed collections in recent months.
A recovery and stabilisation plan is in place to tackle the root causes, and the food waste service is now due to start early next year.
Cabinet member for environment, sustainability and waste management Cllr David Jefferay apologised for the service falling ‘significantly short’ of residents’ expectations.
He said crews, vehicles and infrastructure were ready for a November start, but launching now would add pressure to the wider operation.
‘This is a postponement and not a cancellation,’ he said, urging residents to keep their caddies.
Food waste collections are required under the Government’s Simpler Recycling legislation.
Communal bins for flats will not now arrive until the new year, and the move to three-weekly black bin collections will wait until food waste collections begin.
Photo: © SergeiShimanovich / Shutterstock.com.
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