A guide to help local authorities and other waste collectors prioritise their waste collection services during the coronavirus pandemic. It has been developed with comments from local authorities and the waste industry.

This is non-statutory guidance to assist local authorities to maintain services during the period affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Circumstances vary from local authority to local authority and some of the recommendations may not be appropriate for some local authorities. Many local authorities already have contingency plans which they are now implementing and these should be taken into account in service planning.

The first duty of any local authority is to protect the health of staff and residents and it is with this in mind that the recommendations in this guide have been made.

This guidance is intended as temporary and government is monitoring developments on waste services provision with local authorities and the waste sector. Local authorities are encouraged to maintain services as much as possible. The contents of the guide may change to align with the latest advice from the government on the coronavirus pandemic