Southwark’s household waste recycling centre is closed until further notice.  

The council announced the move on Tuesday (March 24) following the latest Government announcement that people should stay at home and only travel for essential reasons to slow the spread of Covid-19.  

“We are working closely with our partner, Veolia to minimise the impact of Covid-19 on household waste and recycling collections.  

“Currently, our collection services are operating with some delays, and you may see your waste collected on a later day than normal.   

“Please bear with us, we are prioritising the collection of household waste, and will reach you as quickly as possible if your collection is delayed,” according to the council.  

It said there were already plans in place to deal with potential changes such as reduced staffing levels or further movement restrictions.  

To help keep collection services going, the council warned people not to approach collection crews while they are working and keep a minimum of two metres away.  

Residents should make sure their bin is left in an easy to get to location where the crew can reach it.  

The council added that people should make sure they use the correct bins and said not to report a missed collection “unless absolutely necessary”. 

“This can take up capacity and slow down our systems to cause further service delays,” it said.