Introduction
In 2023, waste was responsible for 2.7% of York’s total greenhouse emissions and represents a depletion of finite resources which we need to reverse. Our Climate Strategy outlines 3 objectives; (i) to reduce the amount of waste (ii) to increase recycling rates where reduction is not possible and (iii) to move towards a circular economy. As individuals and as a city, we all need to play our parts in achieving these objectives.
To support this, the Refuse and Recycling Policy for the City of York Council aims to ensure that its waste and recycling services operate effectively and efficiently to maximise recycling and reduce the amount of residual waste.
This policy document is designed to lay out agreed policies and procedures that are clearly defined. Ensuring transparency and clarity for residents, Council members and Officers of the City Council.
Under the terms of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, The City of York Council is classed as a Waste Collection Authority. As such, under section 45(1) we have a statutory duty to collect household waste from all domestic properties within our administrative area.
Under Section 46(4) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Council has specific powers to stipulate:
· The size and type of the collection receptacles
· Where the receptacles must be placed for the purpose of collection and emptying
· The materials or items which may or may not be placed within the receptacles
Any residents not complying with the Council’s requirements, may be subject to a fixed penalty ticket or other legal action under the Section 46 notification, or a loss of the collection service. It is intended that the policy document will outline how the City of York Council will deliver the refuse and recycling collection service and with appropriate education and support, enforcement action should not be required.
Environmental Services Waste and Recycling Policies
Contents
Policy 1: Frequency of Collection
Policy 3: Presentation of Refuse
Policy 4: Recycling Collections
Policy 5: Presentation of Recycling
Policy 6: Garden Waste Collections
Policy 7: Garden waste subscription scheme
Policy 9: Rejection of Receptacles for Collection
Policy 10: Education and Enforcement procedures
Policy 12: Provision of Wheeled Bins
Policy 13: Charges for Wheeled Bins
Policy 14: Wheeled Bin Lost in Collection Vehicle
Policy 15: Lost or Stolen Wheeled Bin
Policy 16: Assisted waste collections
Policy 17: Medical waste Collections
Policy 18: Clinical waste Collection service
Bagged clinical waste (infectious or potentially infectious waste)
Policy 19: Houses in Multiple-Occupancy
Policy 20: New Build Properties
Policy 21: Bulky waste Collection service
Policy 24: Communal bin stores
Policy 25: Container delivery service
Policy 26: Provision of recycling banks
Policy 27: ‘St Nicks’ Recycling service
Policy 28: Household waste recycling centres
Hazel Court HWRC – Hazel Court, James Street, YO10 3DS
Towthorpe HWRC – Towthorpe Moor Lane, YO32 9ST
The Council will collect domestic refuse and recycling on an alternate weekly basis in most areas of the city. Garden waste is also collected on a fortnightly basis during the collection season of early March to early December.
Where possible the alternate weekly collection day will be the same day of the week for refuse and for recycling. This is not guaranteed however and is subject to operational constraints. The time of the day for collection may vary due to outside forces such as road works, vehicle breakdowns or other situations outside of our control. Therefore, residents are asked to present their bin(s) by 7am on their designated collection day. Bins should be presented no earlier than 7pm in the evening prior to collection.
During Bank Holiday weeks, collections will usually be as per your regular collection day. However, there may be occasions when collection days are altered. This is normally over the Christmas and New Year period.
Information about alterations will be advertised through several methods such as local newspapers, social media and the Council’s website www.york.gov.uk/waste
Occasionally collection days can change, and this is necessary to ensure that our collection rounds take account of new developments and are routed efficiently. In such cases the affected residents will be notified of the change by post in the first instance. However in the case of a wholescale city change to service a different means of communication may be deemed more appropriate. We no longer provide printed paper calendars to all residents on an annual basis. Details of collection arrangements will always be made available on our website at https://myaccount.york.gov.uk/bin-collections or residents can contact request a paper copy be sent to them via our contact centre by calling 01905 551551 or emailing ycc@york.gov.uk
All refuse bins are liable to inspection before collection. The refuse bin should only contain ‘non-recyclable’ household waste:
It must not contain:
· Batteries of any kind
· Soil
· Clinical waste, including sharps
· Tyres
· Hazardous waste
· Waste Electrical Equipment
· Large ‘bulky’ items
· Construction/DIY waste such as bricks, plasterboard; cement, aggregates, and timber
· Paint tins
· Commercial waste
· Waste from Holiday lets
Should the refuse bin contain waste of the type detailed above, the refuse operator will not collect the waste and will log the issue using their Incab device. The disposal of the waste will then become the responsibility of the resident, who will be required to dispose of the waste in an appropriate manner.
Residents can visit www.york.gov.uk/HazelCourtHWRC or www.recyclenow.com to find out the best way to dispose of item that cannot be placed in their bin.
If the resident removes the incorrect waste item(s). The bin can then be presented at the next refuse collection. We will not return to empty the bin before the next collection day, nor will we collect any additional waste arising from this non collection. The resident must make arrangements to get rid of any excess waste themselves ideally by visiting a Household Waste Recycling Centre
The standard collection point for bins is the front edge of the residents property. Receptacles must be presented at the front boundary of the property, at the point nearest the highway by 7am on the appointed day of collection. It is helpful if residents place their bins at the kerbside with the handles facing outwards to assist crews with swift collection of the containers. Crews will return emptied containers back to the point of collection.
The Council will not empty any wheeled bin not supplied by City of York Council. Where householders share a driveway, they will be required to present their waste receptacles for collection at the end of the shared drive, at a point nearest to the highway. Where an individual property is located down a ‘long-driveway’, the householder is required to present their waste receptacle for collection at the point nearest the highway.
Central collection points are used where access may present an issue for waste collection.
Central collection points are used for bagged Household waste collections and wheeled bin collections only, they are not used the collection of kerbside boxes.
For example a resident may present bags at a central collection point for refuse but have their recycling collected from the front of their property. In these cases it will be made clear to the resident where the correct presentation points are located for each waste stream. Details can be found by visiting the CYC waste calendar look up tool
Where a street / area uses central collection points the following rules apply:
· Waste must not be presented before 7pm the night before collection
· Waste must be at the central collection point by 7am the morning of collection
· Waste must be in either a wheeled bin or securely tied black plastic refuse bags – waste should not be placed out for collection in kitchen bin liners, carrier bags or storage bins.
· Bulky or large household items should not be placed at the collection point. This waste will not be removed from the CCP and will be classed as fly tipping
· Waste should be placed with care in a neat and tidy manor with care taken not to block access to properties, streets, or driveways.
· Where security gates (Alley Gates) are in place in back lanes, all waste should be placed outside of the gates – waste operatives will not go behind the security gates.
· Where wheeled bins are presented for collection, they should be retrieved and brought back on to the homeowner’s property by 7pm the night of collection.
· If a CCP becomes a problem, then the issue will be investigated by the neighbourhood enforcement team under section 46 of the environmental protection act
Where the ‘long-driveway’ serves several properties, CYC may introduce a central collection point for all bins/ boxes at a designated point nearest the kerbside. Any variation to this policy will be at the discretion of the City of York Council Environmental Services Officers. Their decision will be deemed to be final.
Residents are also asked to be mindful of others who may struggle to navigate around bins left on the highway/ pavement without care and to bear in mind that this may affect those with sight loss or mobility issues. Residents are asked to return their bins to their own properties by 7pm the day of collection.
Wheeled bins that are not returned will be (if regularly left out) classed as an ‘abandoned bin’ and removed. If a bin has been removed the resident would be subject to a charge to replace the bin.
The presentation of ‘additional’ refuse does not support waste minimisation principles or encourage residents to maximise recycling. Therefore, excess refuse left beside the wheeled bin will not be collected unless it has been authorised. Residents should use the Household Waste Recycling Centres to dispose of this waste (see policy 29)
The Council provides advice to residents on how to reduce their waste, upon request. Should a resident continue to present unauthorised ‘additional waste’, the Council will take appropriate enforcement action under Section 46(4) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (see policy 10)
All recycling receptacles will be subject to inspection prior to collection, to establish that they contain only the correct recyclable materials, as detailed on the CYC website.
Contamination can have a major impact on our recycling and composting schemes by reducing the quality of the material and the risk that it will be rejected by the re-processors. The rejection of loads increases disposal charges and loses income.
Recycling and garden waste receptacles considered ‘contaminated’ by operatives will not be collected. At the discretion of the Waste Operative, they may remove contaminating materials from receptacles and empty the bin or box If contamination is not considered severe enough to warrant a bin rejection.
If the contamination is severe enough to reject the receptacle, this will be logged on the crews Incab device.
The Council will not make an unscheduled return visit to collect recycling receptacles rejected for collection, even if the contaminated material has been removed by the householder. In this circumstance, the disposal of the rejected waste will be the responsibility of the householder, who will be required to dispose of the materials using the most appropriate facilities (HWRC or recycling bank)
Should a resident continue to present recycling receptacles containing contaminated waste material, The Council will provide a reasonable level of advice and assistance to householders regarding how to recycle their waste effectively, prior to taking enforcement measures.
55L Kerbside boxes are used for recycling. Historically 3 boxes were issued as a standard set when residents were required to split their recycling into three different streams. Residents are now only required to split their recycling into two different streams.
· Paper and card
· Plastic, tins, glass, foil
Boxes are free of charge and residents are encouraged to only use CYC provided containers as they have been proven fit for purpose and are of a standard shape, size and weight for manual handling purposes. We reserve the right to not collect any container we deem unsafe for collection.
A standard amount to present for collection is 3 kerbside boxes. Small amounts of additional recycling, for example one equivalent box full, can be presented in addition to your recycling boxes of plastic, glass and foil. Additional recycling should be clearly identifiable (please do not present in black bags). Whilst we will make every effort to collect all additional recycling presented, we may not always have space in our vehicles.
Additional cardboard should be broken down to fit into the equivalent size of a recycling box and placed into a sturdy container to prevent it being blown around before collection. Residents are asked not to present cardboard in plastic bags as this would contaminate the load, and not to present cardboard tightly packed inside another box as this takes up more space in the wagon and will not be compressed the same way as loose cardboard.
Large amounts of brown outsize packaging cardboard should be taken to your nearest Household Waste Recycling centre or recycling bank. The location of which can be found by visiting our website or www.recyclenow.com/recycling-locator We will not collect this material at the kerbside.
City of York Council provides a garden waste service to approximately 66,000 properties. Collections are made over the ‘season’ which is currently early March to early December.
Residents should only place garden and plant waste into their green bin. Some items which are suitable for home composting are not suitable for disposal within your garden waste collection and we may refuse to empty your bin if it contains items which we do not collect.
Acceptable waste
· Grass and hedge cuttings
· Leaves and bark
· Garden plants and flowers
· Non invasive garden weeds
· Twigs and small branches
· Windfall fruit
· Cut flowers, house plants, dried flowers
· Real Christmas trees and natural wreaths (chopped up so the fit inside the bin with the lid closed
· Straw bedding from small vegetarian animals
Unacceptable waste
· Soil, turf, rubble, coal, BBQ charcoal
· Large whole branches/trees (these should be taken to the HWRC and placed in the wood container)
· Artificial plants and trees
· Invasive weeds such as Japanese knotweed
· Food or other kitchen waste
· Plastic, paper, cardboard and other packaging such as those labelled ‘compostable’
· Pet and animal waste from cats and dogs
· nappies
All garden waste must fit inside the bin with the lid closed. We may refuse to empty your bin if it is too heavy from materials such as soil as this can be a dangerous hazard when moving and loading the bin on to the wagon.
There is currently no capacity to add any more properties to the garden waste service.
Any household that currently has an existing garden waste collection can subscribe to the additional garden waste scheme. Our collection vehicles use In-cab technology to identify properties that have subscribed to the scheme.
There is no collection charge for the collection of one garden waste bin, additional bins are then charged at a one off cost, per bin, per season.
Payment for the scheme is taken by direct debit only and residents should contact the CYC contact centre on 01904 551551 to subscribe.
All subscriptions are valid until the end of the current ‘season’ so residents are encouraged to subscribe at the start of the season to make full use of the service.
If a subscription scheme garden waste bin is missed, we will return to collect it (we do not usually return for missed garden waste bins). We will not refund any subscription charges if a bin is missed.
Subscribers to the scheme should identify all garden waste bins with their house number or name, particularly if they are presented for collection alongside neighbouring bins.
Households that do not currently receive a garden waste service cannot subscribe to the additional garden waste subscription scheme.
Subscribers can cancel their subscription at any time by contacting their bank. We do not offer refunds or money back once payment has taken and collections have begun. Once we have had it confirmed that payment has been cancelled, we will remove the additional bins from our Incab devices and crews will no longer collect them. The resident can keep the physical container
Residents can check www.york.gov.uk/wastecollectionupdates where we update our ‘known collection issues’ and ‘known missed streets’ Monday to Friday by 5pm
If an issue occurs that affects our ability to collect a street or area, we will update this page with the affected properties/ streets advising when we will recollect this waste. Properties listed do not need to log their waste as individual missed bins.
For individual missed bins, we only return to collect refuse. If the bin to a property is marked as ‘bin not out’ by the crew then we will not return for this bin. We only return for missed collections of Garden waste or Recycling where a customer receives an assisted collection (i.e. we have failed to collect and return the bin as agreed)
Household Waste can be considered as ‘missed’ if:
· The waste was presented by 7am on collection day
· The waste was presented in the correct location
· The crew have not reported an issue with the waste on their Incab device (not presented/ improper materials/ excess waste for example)
Waste and recycling receptacles not presented for collection, at the time of collection, will be recorded as ’bin not out’ on Incab devices. This information will be visible to contact centre and back-office staff immediately. In such cases the resident will then become responsible for the disposal of this waste, and we will not return to collect.
If a bin has genuinely been missed this can be logged by contacting the CYC contact centre after 4pm on the day of collection and we aim to recollect on the next working day. At busy times this may take up to 5 days.
The Council will reject for collection, refuse and recycling receptacles for the following reasons:
· Bin lid not fully closed (Crocodile bins)
· Wrong receptacle presented, e.g. recycling boxes presented on refuse week
· Materials not suitable for recycling placed into the recycling box
· Refuse bin contains unacceptable waste as detailed in Policy 2
· Waste receptacle is too heavy to lift, due to it containing heavy waste such as construction/DIY/soil/garden waste.
· Waste container damaged (spilt side/ missing wheel)
We aim to educate residents in the first instance of an issue arising, whether this be improper presentation of containers, wrong materials or containers left on the highway. We will seek to resolve the matter directly with the resident.
In areas of high turnover (such as student areas) we will continue to run ‘end of’ and ‘start of’ term communications alongside other institutions advising the occupants of how to be a good neighbour and how to find their waste information easily to prevent issues arising in the first place.
Any enforcement is carried out in staged approach by the ‘Community Safety and Neighbourhood Enforcement’ team who will act on the following issues relating to waste.
· Domestic waste permits (fraudulent use of).
· Duty of care – Commercial/ trade/ domestic responsibilities regarding rubbish.
· Fly tipping – public or private land.
· Scrap metal dealers – illegal transportation and/ or disposal.
· Unsightly properties – overgrown/ waste on premises.
· Waste presentation – incorrect presentation of domestic waste – bins and bags.
· Waste carriers and waste transfer documentation.
Persistent incidents may result in a notice being served to the resident, under Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and will allow a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) to be issued on the next occasion.
Where spillages occur, crews are equipped with a brush/ shovel to clean up as much of the spillage as possible and they should make every attempt to do this where we are at fault for the spillage.
This does not apply to days affected by windy weather where residents have not appropriately enclosed their recycling before collection (box lids are provided free of charge). Whilst operatives will make all attempts to collect recycling in a neat and tidy manner, they cannot litter pick items that have been blown about prior to collection.
Crews are instructed to report large scale spillages that they are unable to clean up to their supervisors. In these cases, the Public Realm/ street cleaning team will be tasked with this clean up.
Water may sometimes leak from wagons collecting garden waste, this is harmless condensation from green bins it is not a contaminant of any kind and is harmless if left on the road.
Mess that occurs in areas that have bags collected from a central collection point (from ripped bags / animals prior to collection) should be cleared by the public realm street cleaning teams after collection takes place
Each household is provided with one grey coloured, 180L, wheeled bin for residual (non-recyclable) household waste. This bin is chargeable, current costs can be found by visiting www.york.gov.uk/OrderWasteContainers (where provision of container is available - see below[MS1] )
Provision of more than one refuse bin is not permitted.
8,500 properties currently have residual waste collected in black sacks. Of this number approx. 5,500 properties could accommodate a wheeled bin but are currently not permitted to order one. No changes are permitted to how waste is collected from a property (i.e. Bags to a bin or vice versa) Only when City of York Council has carried out an assessment of all areas currently presenting bags can a whole street/ area have their collection method changed based on operational needs and improved health and safety standards. Requests from individual properties based on preference will not be approved.
All households are required to present their Household waste or garden waste (where service is available) in wheeled bins issued by the council. Where wheeled bins are not in use for collection, residents must present their waste in black bags (not issued by the council) waste in bag areas should not be presented in storage bins or in kitchen bin liners that are not durable enough for collection and prone to breaking or leaking before collection.
In most locations, Presentation must be made at the front boundary of the property where it meets the kerbside. We refer to this point as the curtilage. The exception to this policy is where a central collection point is in place.
An example of this would be terraced properties without forecourts and no viable access for wheeled bins from the rear of the property to the curtilage. In these or similar circumstances, alternative waste collection arrangements are made and generally a central collection point is in use. Residents can find out where their presentation point is by using the collection calendar ‘look it up’ tool myaccount.york.gov.uk/bin-collections
In the interests of sustainability, waste minimisation, and therefore reducing costs to the council taxpayer, the Council issues black (refuse) wheeled bin capacity to households based upon occupancy.
Household occupancy is defined as number of permanent, full-time occupants. Please be aware that a charge also now applies for supplying all wheeled bins (if provision of wheeled bin is permitted).
A standard family wheeled bin (180L) is the default bin provided to most residents. Separate policies are applicable for flats and premises of multiple-occupancy, see (Policy No 24: communal bin stores) (Policy 19: House of Multiple Occupancy)
Only households that have 5 or more occupants or have a specific verified need (such as medical waste) can apply for additional refuse bin capacity. This request will only be approved subject to residents also fully using the existing recycling facilities. Once provided, the standard size 180L wheeled bin may be taken away and replaced with a larger 240L or 360L capacity bin. Please be aware that a charge also applies for ‘upgrading’ wheeled bins.
Charges for supplying wheeled bins were introduced by City of York Council in 2013. The Council is under increased pressure to save money and the charges for bin provision solely cover the cost of the bins and their delivery.
We encourage residents to take care of their bins by asking them to label their bin with their house number and to bring the bin back into their property as soon as possible after collection to prevent loss or theft.
Charges apply to both new properties and for replacement bins. Payment will be taken prior to any replacement being delivered. The exception is where bins are damaged by our crews. If this occurs crews will report this damage via their Incab technology, a postcard will be left for the resident and a replacement container charge will be waived. Please visit www.york.gov.uk/OrderWasteContainers for details of current charges.
Any requests to provide new wheeled bins (refuse or recycling) for a new build property or due to loss of an existing bin must be made to the Council; either by contacting the Customer Service Centre on 01904 551 551 or by emailing ycc@york.gov.uk
Replacement wheeled bins will be delivered as soon as practicable after the payment has been received, but in most cases within 10 working days.
If your bin has been damaged, please continue to place waste in the bin as normal and we will remove the damaged bin and its contents after we have delivered the replacement bin.
If your bin has gone into the wagon and you do not have a bin to use while you wait for a replacement. Please use securely tied black refuse bags to store your waste until collection day (this applies to refuse only) We cannot collect garden waste in plastic bags. In the temporary absence of a green bin, residents can use the Household Waste Recycling Centres to get rid of this waste until their new bin arrives.
Householders are responsible for the storage, safe keeping and cleaning of refuse and recycling receptacles.
There may be some circumstances where a bin is lost or damaged in the back of the collection vehicle. Should this occur, our crews will place a postcard through the residents door advising of the incident. They will also report this through their Incab devices where an order will be generated for a like-for-like bin. In these cases, the Council will replace the wheeled bin free of charge. We aim to deliver replacement bins within 10 working days, at busy times this may take longer
If we have lost or damaged a bin during the course of collection, we will put a postcard through the door to replace it free of charge. However, if the resident has not received a postcard they will need to pay for a replacement if their bin:
· Has signs of wear and tear
· Has been lost or stolen
· Was missing when you moved in
Residents, who are unable to transport their wheeled bins/bags to the required collection point because of ill health, infirmity, or disability are eligible for an ‘assisted collection’. This is where a loader will collect and return the waste receptacle to the residents’ address. An assisted collection is only offered to residents who do not have other occupants in the household that are able to assist them (16 years and over)
Residents are required to provide information so that a simple assessment may be completed. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. Home visits are carried out only where necessary.
Assisted collections are subject to the Council being satisfied that service provision is warranted. Residents on the assisted collection scheme will have their wheeled bins/bags collected by a collection operative from an agreed location and emptied into the collection vehicle. Wheeled bins and boxes will be returned to the same location.
It is the resident’s responsibility to ensure the unobstructed availability of the receptacles i.e. garden gates are unlocked by 7.00am on the date of collection. If the collection operative is unable to gain access to the wheeled bin/bags they will not be emptied/collected until the next scheduled collection.
In terraced areas where waste is normally presented at central collection points, the following rules apply:
· In there is an alley gate in the location, the resident will need to present their residual waste in black bags at their front door for collection. Waste operatives will collect the waste as usual from the central collection point and also visit the front door of those residents that are unable to get to the CCP. We will also collect recycling from the front door on the alternate week (as is usual)
· If there is no alley gate in the location, the crew will collect both residual waste and recycling waste from the rear of the property. Crews will collect waste from the rear yard of the property and will return any containers to the same location. Residents must make sure their rear access/ gate is clearly marked with their house number and ensure that the gate is unlocked for a successful collection to take place.
If the residents circumstances change, they must inform the Council. The assisted waste service is valid for 3 years from the date of request. The Council will constantly monitor the service and all residents will be written to after a period of three years to confirm they still require the service.
Some residents have certain medical conditions, which mean they place personal care items such as nappies and incontinence pads, in their wheeled bin. This may take up more space in their bin and can be offensive in smell and appearance meaning they need collecting more frequently (this waste is not known to be infectious). This service is not for the disposal of clinical waste such as sharps or yellow/ orange bag waste that is likely to contain infectious waste (see separate policy section for guidance on clinical waste (Policy 18)
Residents producing this type of waste are offered a weekly collection as standard. If the resident continues to struggle with their waste despite receiving a weekly collection, they will then be offered a larger bin to help them cope.
This arrangement will then be updated onto the crews Incab device and set for a period of three years. Any residents who’s assisted collection is due to expire will be written to. Every effort will be made to contact the resident. However, if no response is received within 12 weeks then the service will be removed.
‘Assisted collections’ are also available to those receiving a medical waste service see (policy 16)if they qualify.
Free clinical waste collections are provided for residents who need to self-medicate at home. Please note this is different to medical waste collections detailed above in Medical collection Policy 17
Before requesting a collection, residents should note that:
Sharp boxes
To arrange a sharps (needles) collection, residents need to call us and tell us how many and what type of boxes they have for collection and arrange a time and date for collection to take place. If, the information supplied is incorrect we may not be able to collect the boxes as waste on the collection vehicle must tally with the disposal paperwork.
Single boxes of sharps are not normally collected. We ask residents to wait until they have at least 2 boxes to make collections more efficient. however, If a resident has one box from a one off course of treatment please let us know and we can arrange a collection.
We can also collect orange bagged clinical waste. We normally only collect this kind of waste following a referral from York District Hospital
Landlords who manage Houses in Multiple Occupancy need to ensure that they manage their properties in accordance with current legislation. HMO licence changes which came into force on the 1st October 2018, mean that landlords now have to provide facilities for storing and disposing of household waste, recycling and garden waste. If they do not, they are committing an offence and it may affect their ability to operate as a HMO licence holder. www.york.gov.uk/hmowaste
The landlord of the property should engage with the Council at the earliest opportunity when considering waste management arrangements for their property.
Landlords are expected to:
· Plan for waste storage at their properties when applying for a HMO licence
· Make arrangements for the proper storage of bins and recycling boxes within the boundary of their property
· Ensure bins and recycling boxes are stored in a neat and tidy manner
· Provide waste collection information to tenants
Any loose waste stacked next to full bins or bags piled in forecourts, will be taken as evidence that landlords haven’t provided sufficient waste storage at their properties.
For multiple occupancy households/properties, the Council may supply an appropriately sized larger wheeled bin(s) for refuse (Where provision of service is available) This container is chargeable.
The landlord of the property should engage with the Council at the earliest opportunity when considering waste management arrangements for their property. If the property is within a bagged collection area, it may be that the landlord needs to supply storage bins for the property so residents can keep their waste in a neat and tidy manner until collection day.
Landlords can apply for a permit to use the HWRC 3 times in a year (per property) to dispose of additional waste from their properties.
Managing a HMO is regarded as a business so any waste removed by landlords (excluding the use of landlord permits as above) is treated as commercial waste. Landlords must therefore register and pay to dispose of any waste brought to the HWRC and will need to provide evidence of an upper tier waste carriers licence to apply for these permits.
When disposing of ‘bulky waste’ landlords must not leave furniture or other bulky items left by tenants outside the boundaries of their properties or in forecourts for extended periods of time. Landlords must take this waste to Hazel Court HWRC
For newly built properties, either the developer or the builder (for smaller estates or individual properties) will be responsible for the purchase of wheeled bins for the properties they have constructed. No collections will be made until such time as:
· Wheeled bins, of an approved design and colour, have been purchased and delivered.
· All access roads are complete.
· The point of collection has been agreed.
· The day/frequency of collection has been agreed.
It is recommended that all developers contact the City of York Council’s Environmental Services Department for advice at the planning stage and again before construction begins. Please contact us as soon as possible in the planning stages to discuss requirements.
Currently a Garden Waste service is not being supplied to new build properties due to round capacity. Garden waste is not a statutory service and the council is not obliged to provide this service as standard (correct as of July 2023) Developers are encouraged to install compost bins in all private gardens to encourage their use by residents
City of York Council in partnership with Yorwaste offer a Bulky Waste collection service. For a one off fee we collect up to 10 bulky items.
Some special terms apply:
Residents need to contact our Waste, Highways and Environmental Services team on telephone: 01904 551551 to arrange an assessment or a collection.
If bulky items require an assessment, it will be booked to coincide with the ward based bulky collection schedule. The resident will be advised of when this is taking place. If the resident wishes to proceed with the quote they are provided with, they must telephone and book the collection for a suitable date.
The service operates three days per week and is based on a ward system
· Tuesday: Clifton, Haxby &Wigginton, Huntington & New Earswick, Rawcliffe & Clifton Without, Strensall
· Wednesday: Acomb, Bishopthorpe, Copmanthorpe, Dringhouses & Woodthorpe, Holgate, Rural West
· Thursday: Fishergate, Fulford & Heslington, Guildhall, Heworth, Heworth Without, Hull Road, Micklegate, Osbaldwick & Derwent, Wheldrake
Residents must not place any items for collection on highways, verges or in any public spaces. We do not enter properties to remove items under any circumstances.
Residents should make sure items are not exposed to bad weather and should only place items out for collection by 7am on the date of collection to prevent the items deteriorating. We reserve the right to not collect items if they are not in the condition we expect to find them or as described at the time of booking.
· Items from traders (commercial waste)
· Builders waste such as plasterboard or bathroom suites
· Chemicals such as oil or paint
· Bags of domestic refuse or garden waste
· Glass such as loose panes or broken windows
· Soiled mattresses sofas or soft furnishings
· Fluorescent tubes and gas bottles
· Tyres
This list is illustrative but not exhaustive – residents should clearly describe and discuss their requirements at the time of booking. We reserve the right not to collect items that are not in the condition we expect to find them or as described at the time of booking. Some of these items may be brought to a Household Waste Recycling Centre as an alternative.
We can refund a bulky waste payment if the collection is in the future, or we have been unable to collect for operational reasons and the recollection date is not suitable for you.
We cannot offer a refund if we attended and attempted to collect but access was blocked, loose dogs were present, or the items listed did not match those presented (were soiled for example)
Any waste produced from commercial activity is ‘business’ ‘trade’ or ‘commercial waste’ and you have a legal responsibility to make sure it is disposed of safely so that it does not cause harm to health, and it does not pollute the environment.
Business owners have a ‘duty of care’ when disposing of business waste and must only transfer the waste to someone who is legally allowed to accept it accompanied by a waste transfer note. Business waste can be brought to Hazel Court HWRC see (policy 29) or alternatively City of York Council offers a refuse and ‘recycling dry waste’ collection service to most business in York.
Businesses wishing to use CYC’s commercial waste collection Service will need to complete the relevant paperwork. A member of the commercial waste team will provide this and may wish to visit the premises to assess suitability for containers and an appropriate location to cite the bins. Alternatively, if your business is based within the city centre and you do not have space for a physical container, we offer a commercial waste bag service.
If you use our pre-paid bags, we will aim to deliver these to you within 5 working days of ordering. The cost of the bag includes delivery, collection, disposal, and operational costs. The minimum order is 50 bags.
There is a one-off annual charge to issue your waste transfer note which will cover you for one calendar year, this is payable on delivery.
If you require a bin for collections, you will not be charged for this bin, the bin remains the property of City of York Council who will recover the bin if / when the contract is cancelled.
CYC Commercial Waste currently offers Monday to Saturday Collections as well as evening collections.
Responsibilities for business waste are set out in Section 34 of the Environmental Protection act 1990
Our commercial waste team can be contacted by emailing commwaste@york.gov.uk or calling 01904 553283
In the event of severe weather, when snow, ice, floods, heatwave or other conditions disrupt waste and recycling collection services, the following general principles will apply:
The Council will try to maintain services if they can be performed safely but may adjust the service as required. Key factors that apply are road conditions, access past parked cars, risks to public or crews.
The condition of the roads in terms of the city will be assessed by the Operational Services Manager.
If we are unable to collect your waste due to severe weather, we will:
· Publish updates on the situation on our webpages www.york.gov.uk/wastecollectionupdates
· Collect your waste on your next scheduled waste or recycling day
· Make allowances for extra waste at your next collection
It is the Council’s preference to supply individual wheeled bins wherever possible, but for flats the Council may supply an appropriately sized larger wheeled bin(s) for refuse and recyclables.
The developer/builder/management agent should engage with the Council at the earliest opportunity when considering waste management arrangements for their complexes.
Larger bins will only be serviced by prior arrangement and a fee must be paid to the Council for their provision. Only city of York Council approved bins will be emptied.
Where residents of multiple occupancy properties do not segregate their waste for recycling in an effective manner, the Council will endeavour to work with residents to encourage recycling. If appropriate the Council will use its enforcement powers to achieve improvement in recycling performance from multiple-occupancy properties.
Where the reasonable efforts of the Council fail to improve the quality of recyclables presented for collection, the Council may remove the recycling receptacle. The refuse receptacle will still be collected fortnightly on refuse collection week.
The combined capacity of the refuse receptacles (in litres) should not exceed 180 multiplied by the number of occupied properties. The Council will assess the servicing of flats/ mixed properties on an individual basis and cases will be considered on their merits. Property visits and discussions with the relevant management agencies will be carried out where appropriate.
Where there is contamination within the waste on a regular basis the Council will require the management agency/ housing association/ landlord to, at their own expense, ensure that all non-recyclable material is removed in readiness for the next collection. It is the property management company and/ or residents’ responsibility to present the bins in the agreed manner that allows for a collection to take place. Where access is not possible due to locked gates etc the waste will not be collected. Only where damage is caused as a direct result of the collection process will the Council pay for the repair or replacement of the receptacles.
Where bin stores have excess waste blocking access (bags, loose waste, furniture etc), the collection crew will not clear the area. If it is not possible for the collection crew to collect the wheeled bins/bags, they will be left, and it will be the responsibility of the management company and / or residents to dispose of the waste.
We aim to deliver new and replacement waste containers within 10 working days of being ordered.
Where a container has been damaged, we will remove the damaged container, with its contents when we deliver new. We will not remove containers that have not been supplied by CYC (i.e. own recycling boxes being replaced by CYC standard boxes. Residents will need to visit a HWRC to dispose of these items themselves
Recycling banks are sited across York providing additional opportunities for residents to recycle outside of their kerbside service without having to travel to a Household Waste Recycling Centre.
We provide banks for:
· Glass
· Paper and card
· Packaging cardboard
· Cartons
· Plastics
· Textiles
Residents can locate their nearest recycle banks by visiting.
www.recyclenow.com/recycling-locator
If a recycling bank is full, please do not leave materials in front of the banks, doing so can prevent successful collection of the bank.
Leaving waste in front of an already full bank is classed as fly tipping and can be investigated as such
York is a historic city and as such, areas within the city walls can be difficult to service because of their narrow/ cobbled streets or restricted access due to the city walls and bars.
On behalf of the City of York Council, St Nicks provide an eco-friendly recycling service to approx. 2,600 properties over 149 different streets within the city centre. This is a weekly service and is collected by small electric powered ‘tuc tuc’ style vehicles and bicycles with trailers.
This is a different/ more bespoke service and collections take place Monday to Friday between 8am and 4pm
St Nicks provide recycling boxes to these properties and residents usually present one box per week of mixed materials which are sorted at the kerbside.
Materials collected:
· Food and drink cans
· Glass
· Paper/ cardboard
· Plastics (PET, HDPE 2 & Polypropylene 5
· Garden waste (residents must leave in a bag next to their box)
· Cables, chargers, and wires (from small household appliances
· Toothpaste tubes and plastic toothbrushes
· Plastic writing implements (pens/ markers highlighters)
Materials not collected:
· Plastics other than those stated above
· Broken glass
· Electronic appliances (only the cabling accepted)
· Food or windfall fruit (in garden waste)
· Soil/ tree stumps branches
This is an ‘opt in’ service and residents must contact St Nicks to register for the service. Any service issues should be reported directly to St Nicks
· 01904 411821
The list of streets serviced by St Nicks are available online at www.stnicks.org.uk/waste-and-sustainability/recycling/residential-recycling
An assisted collection service can also be provided
Residents can dispose of additional waste and materials which cannot be recycled at the kerbside at one of our Household Waste Recycling Centres.
Hazel Court accepts trade/ commercial waste (at a charge) and is open 7 days a week. This site is located close to the city centre.
Opening times Between March and October
· Monday to Saturdays 8.30am – 5.00pm
· Sundays 08.30am – 4.00pm
Opening times between April and September:
· Monday to Saturdays 08.30am to 7.00pm
· Sundays 08:30am – 4.00pm
Key points:
· Open on bank holidays except Christmas day, boxing day and New Year
· Last entry to site is 15 minutes before closing
· There is pedestrian/ cycle access at this site
· Businesses using a hire vehicle must register as a trader with the site prior to using the site and will be charged for commercial waste disposal
· Residents planning to use a larger vehicle to bring domestic waste to site need to apply for a free book of permits and allow 10 working days for them to arrive prior to using the site
· Residents can bring a hire vehicle (van) to site without needing the usual permit that a larger vehicle would require by using your hire paperwork and proof of residency (utility bill for example)
· Business must apply for permits to use the site and allow 10 working days for the permits to arrive prior to using the site
· Registered vehicles must display the sticker provided to them in their vehicle window and stop at the weighbridge on their way into site so their waste can be weighed and a waste transfer note can be provided
· Landlords can apply for Landlord permits to dispose of tenants waste at this site up to three times a year per property.
· Maximum trailer size allowed on site is 3m x 1.8m
· Commercial waste cannot be brought to site at weekends
Towthorpe does not accept trade/ commercial waste and is open 6 days a week. This site is Rural and has opening times based on seasons and daylight savings. This site is closed on Wednesdays
Opening times for March
· 08.30am – 5pm
Opening times April to September:
· 08.30am to 7pm
Opening times for October
· 08.30am – 5pm
Opening times November to February:
· 08.30am to 4pm
Key points:
· Closed on Wednesday’s year round
· Open on bank holidays except Christmas day, boxing day and New Year
· Last entry to site is 15 minutes before closing
· There is no pedestrian/ cycle access at this site
· The height barrier for this site is 1.9 meters
· Chargeable waste is not accepted at this site (rubble, gas bottles, plasterboard or asbestos)
· This site is rural and located on a fast road. In peak times traffic can queue to turn right to get into the site
· Residents can bring a hire vehicle (van) to site by using their hire paperwork and proof of residency (utility bill for example) Please keep in mind the height barrier restriction of this site if using a hired vehicle. Please check this measurement before attending site
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