Bristol recycling centres to reopen next week with car registration number entry system

BRISTOL’S recycling centres will reopen to the public from next week – with a number plate-based system to limit visitors.

Car and small van drivers will be allowed to use the sites on alternate days, depending on whether their registration contains and odd or even number.

Bigger vehicles will remain banned – and people will also need to bring photo ID and proof of a Bristol address to use the sites or face being turned away.

The tips at St Philip’s and Avonmouth were closed as part of the coronavirus lockdown in March but will reopen from Monday May 18.

The city council says it is anticipating a surge in visits and is asking people to only use the tips if it is “absolutely necessary”, adding: “Sites may have to close again at short notice if too many people arrive at once, or if guidance on managing Covid-19 changes.

“Residents may be turned away if queues become too long.”

While the limits on visitors to the centres are in place, cars which have a registration plate containing an even number will be allowed to visit the site on dates which are even numbers, starting with Monday, Wednesday and Friday of next week.

Cars with an odd number in their registration will be allowed in next Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and on other odd-numbered days.

People will be able to check a live stream of the queues on the Bristol Waste website, to see if they are facing a long wait before they leave home.

Social distancing measures will also be introduced, including markings to keep people more than 2m apart and only allowing one person to unload each vehicle, unless an item needs two people to carry it.

People are also being asked to sort waste before arriving at the centre to minimise time on the site and help cut queuing time, and are also being advised that recycling staff will not be able to help them unload, so they should only bring items they can carry.

Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said: “While we are pleased to be able to reopen these sites, we want to make it clear that they will not be operating a normal service, and we would ask people to only visit if it is absolutely necessary.

“We need to remember that we are still in the middle of a global crisis, and we need to do all we can to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

“I would like to thank everyone for their patience during this difficult time. If you do need to visit a recycling centre, please be patient with staff as they work hard to keep you safe.”

Garden waste, bulky waste, recycling and black bin collections are currently operating as usual across the city.