Winter weather advice

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What can I do with my waste?

• Will my bins and caddy be collected?

  During times of adverse weather we will still try to collect your bins and caddy on your scheduled collection day. Check your collection dates online if you are still unsure. More updates will be available on this website, our social media channels and via our text alert service as circumstances change.

• My caddy was missed due to adverse weather, what do I do with my food waste?

  If your caddy isn’t full, you can just leave your food waste in there until your next collection. In the snow, the temperature outside is probably lower than your fridge, so it’s unlikely to cause any problems or smells.

  You could also compost your food waste in a home compost bin. Please see our home composting page for details of how to get a compost bin if you haven't already got one.

• During adverse weather can I leave my bins at the boundary of my property until they are collected?

  Yes. If your bins have not been collected during adverse weather, please leave them out on your boundary and we will try to collect them as soon as possible.

• What should I do if my bin lids are frozen shut?
  Pouring hot water on your bin can make the problem worse, as it may refreeze. Using excessive force can be dangerous, as frozen plastic may snap. If possible, prevent your bin from freezing by placing a piece of cardboard between the bin and its lid, or keep your bin in a garage, or somewhere that gets sunlight in the mornings.
• What should I do if the contents of my bins are frozen?
  If the contents of your bin are frozen, it may be stuck inside your bin, and may not be emptied when your bin is tipped into our refuse vehicles. This can result in your bin not being emptied. It would be helpful if you could try to prevent your bin from freezing, or loosen the contents of your bin before it’s collected.
• Will excess waste be collected?

  Excess waste can be taken to the Recycling Centre on Eastman Way in Hemel Hempstead or Northbridge Road in Berkhamsted.

  Excess recycling can either be taken to your local neighbourhood recycling site or put out for collection in a sturdy container, such as a cardboard box, by your blue-lidded bin.

What is being done?

• Why haven't my bins been collected?

  We take the health and safety of the public and our own staff very seriously. Our large refuse lorries can weigh up to 26 tonnes. Small side roads, which are not routinely cleared of snow, can become very icy. It would be dangerous for our refuse lorries to drive down these roads.

  Footpaths can also remain treacherous even when main roads have been cleared. Our staff need to move large refuse and recycling wheeled bins, and may be unable to stop themselves falling if they slipped. This could potentially cause serious injury.

• How do you decide when it’s safe to collect?

  We regularly review road conditions and take advice from both the police and Met Office. We resume collections as soon as we can.

• Why can’t you use snow chains on collection vehicles?

  Snow chains are only effective on roads where the ice and snow is thick enough. Driving a vehicle fitted with snow chains on roads without a significant cover of ice and snow – for example, roads that have been cleared or treated – could affect the braking and handling of the vehicle. Taking the chains on and off whenever the vehicles move from snow-covered roads to cleared roads is not practical.

• Can smaller vans be used in areas where the trucks can’t be used?

  We have one fleet of vehicles for refuse and recycling collections. These heavy goods vehicles have the equipment to lift and empty bins. Smaller vehicles wouldn’t have the necessary equipment to carry out collections.

• Can collection crews be given crampons for their boots to improve grip?

  Our crews have been issued with special studs that fit over their boots. This will assist in preventing unnecessary personal accidents. However, roads still need to be free of snow and ice for our vehicles to access them.

• Are you going to grit the roads?

  Road gritting is the responsibility of Hertfordshire County Council.

  However, our Clean Safe and Green teams will be clearing snow and gritting pavements where possible across the borough.

• Do your staff get time off when vehicles can’t go out on collections?

  No. When it’s too dangerous for waste collection vehicles to go out on the roads, we redeploy staff to clear areas of snow and ice. During periods of bad weather, staff work hard to get services back to normal.

• I saw a refuse truck drive past my house – why didn’t it collect my waste?

  The truck may have been full, and needed emptying before it could collect any more waste. Recycling is taken to Cupid Green Depot in Hemel Hempstead, while general waste from the grey bins is taken to Waterdale Transfer Station, near Watford. The truck will usually continue on its rounds afterwards, starting from its last collection point.

  It may also be that this vehicle was not scheduled to collect waste from your house. We have a number of vehicles working in the same area at any given time, so another truck should arrive to collect your waste shortly.

  If there is a backlog of waste awaiting collection, due to adverse weather, it takes longer for the vehicles to get around, and they also fill up more quickly. Please be patient while our crews catch up.

• Will you be doing extra collections to catch up once the weather improves?

  When it’s safe to do so, we’ll resume collections in your area. We’ll do all we can to get collections back on track as quickly as possible.

• Can you use agency staff to get collections back to normal faster?

  Agency staff are sometimes used when our service experiences disruption or delays, but it is difficult to source additional staff that are fully trained and have local knowledge of the rounds. We understand the effect of this disruption, and we work hard to get services back to normal.

• How long will it take for collections to return to normal?

  It depends on how severe the weather is, and how long it lasts. We’ll be posting updates on this website, and our  Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) accounts.

  You can also sign up for text message updates on your mobile phone by sending a text to 60777 with the message “DBC waste your house number your postcode” (for example, DBC waste 80 HP4 2DR).

• Can I claim a Council Tax refund for non-collections?

  Although collections may not have been made on a scheduled day, we still have to clear the backlog when weather conditions improve, so we will not refund Council Tax.

  Although we collect Council Tax, we only keep 11p of every £1 to pay for all of our services. The rest goes to Hertfordshire County Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner. More information about your Council Tax.