Vehicles experiencing mechanical failures, particularly those affecting hydraulic systems, often need to be sent to regional service centres for repair. Where possible, additional vehicles are hired, provided this remains within the permitted number allowed under the operator’s licence.

The waste service relies on a range of specialist vehicles, including narrow-access vehicles for rural lanes, lightweight vehicles, larger collection trucks and dedicated food waste vehicles. When these vehicles become unavailable, collections depend on securing suitable hire vehicles. As these are specialist vehicles, replacement vehicles are not always available quickly enough to prevent delays to scheduled collections.

As a result, residents whose properties can only be accessed by specialist vehicles are often the most affected when disruption occurs.

Unfortunately, collection vehicles can occasionally be damaged by battery fires. These incidents often require attendance from Surrey Fire and Rescue Service and may result in vehicles being removed from service for a prolonged period, which can impact collection schedules.

Collection crews are familiar with their regular routes and know which households require ‘assisted collections’ for residents who may be elderly, disabled or otherwise unable to move their bins. When crews and vehicles need to be reassigned at short notice, collection rounds can take longer to complete while these arrangements are safely maintained.

Weather conditions can sometimes create operational challenges for waste collection services. Prolonged periods of extreme temperatures, whether hot or cold, can affect working conditions for collection crews and limit the amount of additional work that can be undertaken safely.

Recruiting qualified HGV drivers remains a challenge across the sector, and attracting both drivers and loaders can be particularly difficult in some areas. During periods of disruption, crews often work additional hours, including weekends, to help maintain services and recover missed collections.

As with many services, annual leave and other seasonal staffing pressures can sometimes place additional demands on workforce availability.

Amey, our waste collection contractor, is working to recover any delayed collections as quickly as possible. If your bin has not been collected on its scheduled day, please continue to leave it out for collection. Crews are returning to affected areas as resources become available. We appreciate that residents want certainty about when services will return to normal. While we cannot currently provide a definitive date, work is ongoing to stabilise the service and improve collection reliability across the district.

Collection crews may need to return to some streets or properties later in the day, particularly where access issues, vehicle capacity or operational delays have affected collections. Please leave your bin out and we will aim to return as soon as possible.

Before reporting, please check the list of outstanding roads first which is usually published by 6pm. If your road is on the list then the crew know they need to return and should do so within two or three days; there is no need to make a report. If your road is not listed, please report a missed collection using the online form.

Where collections have been significantly delayed, reasonable amounts of additional waste may be presented alongside the relevant bin. Any additional waste should be securely bagged and presented neatly. Crews will collect it where operationally possible.

Yes. To help complete as many collections as possible, particularly during warm weather and periods of service disruption, crews may start collections earlier than usual. Residents are then advised to put their bins out by 5.30am on the day of collection to ensure they are not missed.

No. Council Tax is a property-based tax that residents are legally required to pay, it is not a contract or subscription for services, and there is no right to a refund or rebate because of disruption to the household waste service.

Our small portion (we receive only 9%, while the majority is split amongst Surrey County Council, Surrey Police and parish councils) supports a wide range of local services we provide, including housing and homelessness support, parks and playgrounds, community services (for example the Fairfield Centre and Mole Valley Employment & Skills Hub), Planning, regeneration projects, children’s holiday activities and Council Tax and benefits administration.