Recycling centres to reopen next week

Community recycling centres at Tythegston, Maesteg and Brynmenyn will reopen for essential visits only on Tuesday 26 May 2020.

The sites, which had to close as part of all-Wales efforts to combat the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, will be open between 8.30am-7pm during the week, and 8.30am-5pm at weekends. They will be available only to deal with urgent waste which cannot wait until lockdown is over.

To help cut down on waiting times and manage the number of vehicles using the sites, an odds-and-even car number plate system is being put in place following successful trials in other parts of the UK.

If the last number of a vehicle number plate is even – i.e. 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 – that vehicle will be granted access on Wednesday 27, Friday 29 and Sunday 31 May, and Tuesday 2, Thursday 4 and Saturday 6 June. This will apply to plates reading e.g. VH92 GHD or RECYL8 where the last numbers - ‘2’ and ‘8’ – are both even.

If the last number of the vehicle number plate is odd – i.e. 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 – then that vehicle will be allowed to enter a site on Tuesday 26, Thursday 28 and Saturday 30 May, and Monday 1 June, Wednesday 3 June, Friday 5 June and Sunday 7 June. This will apply to plates reading e.g. GJ25 HJK or PRIV8 A3 where the last numbers – ‘5’ and ‘3’ - are both odd.

With long queues likely, traffic management will be in place to ensure people can access the sites safely. At Tythegston, access will only be available to vehicles travelling in from the A48 – there will be no site access from the A4106 Bridgend Road.

At Brynmenyn, a diversion will direct vehicles to approach the site on George Thomas Avenue by driving and queuing along St Theodore’s Way and Chilcott Avenue. Access to the site at Maesteg will be normal with no further changes necessary.

At each site, only cars will be allowed access. Until further notice, vans, trailers and 4x4 crew cab vehicles will not be allowed in, and the permit scheme will not be available.

Only a few cars will be let in to the sites at a time, so delays must be expected. Drivers are being advised in advance that they will need to queue, and that they should not get out of their cars until it is their turn.

All items and materials must be sorted before entering a recycling centre, and only one person will be allowed to get out of the car to dispose of waste. Staff will not be able to help unload or move items from cars due to social distancing requirements, so please only bring waste that one person can carry safely.

As only a few cars will be let in each time, visitors should have no difficulty maintaining social distancing while at the sites, but anyone who refuses to do so will be asked to leave immediately, as will anyone who is abusive to staff.

Do not enter a site if you or someone you live with has symptoms of Covid-19, such as a high temperature or a new continuous cough.

The recycling centres are not reopening for business as normal, but to handle essential items only which cannot be stored at home until the pandemic is over.

Don’t forget that there is no limit on how much kerbside recycling you can put out, and that additional recycling containers can be ordered from the council website.

Deputy Leader Hywel Williams

Councillor Richard Young, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “I’m grateful to our waste partners Kier and to staff for helping ensure that household waste and recycling collections have been able to continue smoothly throughout the pandemic, and for enabling the recycling sites to reopen for essential waste only.

For more information visit our community recycling centres webpage

(Video transcript)