Continuing essential waste services: 01/05/2020

The UK’s waste disposal and recycling sectors have been seen as ‘critical’ in keeping essential services running and ensuring supply chains can operate during the Coronavirus outbreak.

We are continuing to operate our sties at a reduced capacity, taking regular advice and guidance from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Waste Industry Health and Safety Forum (WISH) [https://wishforum.org.uk], the British Metal Recycling Association (BMRA) [https://www.recyclemetals.org/newsandarticles.html] and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), as well as Public Health England (PHE) [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-list-of-guidance]. This ensures that we are still able to service and support essential businesses including hospitals, care homes and manufacturers.

Business services:

  • We are still servicing key essential businesses
  • We are accepting ferrous and non-ferrous metals from business customers
  • All sites are accepting regular door trade customers/registered scrap collectors and businesses for ferrous and non-ferrous metals
  • All sites are closed for general door trade metal deliveries and to the general public until the general lockdown is officially lifted by the government
  • We are not currently processing textiles – we will review this as Household Waste and Recycling Centres start to reopen
    Commercial waste collection services are running to service all business customers

Skip hire:

  • We are also providing skip hire services via phone or our website. Bookings and payments can be made online or over the phone. Payment is taken online or over the phone to ensure it is contactless. Your skip will be delivered and collected by one of our drivers, maintaining social distancing measures and we will communicate via email or phone rather than with a paper ticket, to minimise contact.
  • For home/business skip hire visit: https://www.ward.com/online-skip-order/

Discounts are available for NHS workers on skip services. Quote NHS2020 on booking and email the team with verification of your ID number.

Safety measures implemented:

We have taken the following steps to avoid transmission of infection to our staff and suppliers, while delivering essential business services:

  • We are working with a reduced team of yard operatives on site
  • All our office staff are working from home
  • All employees must always maintain social distancing – stay 2 metres (6ft) away from others
  • No more than one person is in the weighbridge offices at a time
  • Gatherings of more than two people anywhere on site is prohibited
  • Staff will not sign any paperwork.
  • Shared facilities will be unavailable on site to avoid any possible cross contamination
  • Operatives on site must wear either their own PPE or purchase a set from WARD. No sharing of WARD protective equipment and PPE must not to be shared with other operatives. PPE must include, hard hat and high vis, gloves.

We continually review advice from the Government and our trade bodies. We thank you again for your support at this difficult time. We aim to resume normal service as soon as it is safe to do so.

Team WARD