WYCHAVON DISTRICT COUNCIL
GUIDANCE NOTES FOR DEVELOPERS – WASTE COLLECTION WITHIN
THE DISTRICT OF WYCHAVON
These notes are intended to provide a guide to the methods of storage,
collection, segregation for recycling and recovery of waste from residential
and non-residential buildings. They have been produced with reference to the
British Standards Institute guide to Waste collection from buildings BS 5906
(25 November 2004).
GENERAL
Household waste contains a considerable proportion of material which can be
recycled or re-used and should therefore be viewed as a resource. Statutory
regulations require local authorities to reach recycling targets in order to
reduce disposal costs and conserve resources. Incorrectly stored waste has
the potential to attract vermin and can lead to littering and may present a
hazard to the public or collectors. It is therefore essential to incorporate
suitable provision for the segregation and storage of both recyclable materials
and residual waste when designing and planning for both new developments
and refurbishment of existing buildings.
Such facilities should provide adequate storage for containers of the required
capacity to enable efficient management of waste and, where appropriate,
sufficient space to allow for the segregation of household and non-residential
(commercial) waste. It is important that consideration is given to the fortnightly
collection cycle of refuse and recycling to ensure that sufficient facilities are
included to enable the Council to provide its stated level of refuse service.
Designers should consider:
 Easy and safe access for waste producers, including older persons or
persons with disabilities
 Easy and safe access for collectors and collection vehicles
 Location and space
 Protection against animal scavenging of waste
 Ease of maintenance including cleaning
 Robust construction
 Safety from fire risk and smoke
 Lighting
 Ventilation
 Special requirements (e.g. separate storage for healthcare or special
wastes)
FREQUENCY OF COLLECTION
Wychavon District Council has adopted wheeled bins for collection of refuse
and recycling and an alternate weekly collection system, collecting refuse one
week and co-mingled recycling the next. Households are provided with a 180
litre grey bin for refuse and a 240 litre green bin for recycling.
Designers should consider:
 Volume and composition of waste
 Frequency of collection (see above)
 Degree of waste segregation required
 Degree of container separation
PROVISION OF CONTAINERS
Wychavon District Council provides households of up to 5 persons with a
standard set of two wheeled bins being; 1 x 180 litre refuse and 1 x 240 litre
recycling. In addition a separate collection of food waste is also provided
using a grey 21 litre food waste bin (bucket).
Table 1. Wheeled bin maximum dimensions
Bin Capacity
litres
Max. Height mm
Max. Width mm
Max. Depth mm
140
180
240
1100
1080
1100
535
480
660
615
730
740
Larger and smaller bins
Households of more than 5 persons or who have a child in nappies are
supplied with a 240 litre grey refuse bin on request as an alternative to the
180 litre grey refuse bin. An option of smaller 140 litre bins for both recycling
and refuse is provided for households where managing the larger bins would
be problematic for the resident. Households may request additional recycling
bins but additional refuse bins are only provided in exceptional circumstances.
Communal bin stores
Where multiple dwellings use the same bin storage area e.g. flats or sheltered
accommodation schemes, the Council will provide steel bulk waste and
recycling containers of the size and dimensions listed in table 2 below. The
Council aims to provide sufficient containers to allow each dwelling the
equivalent capacity of a standard household. This should be based on 1 x
1100 litre refuse and 1 x 1100 litre recycling bin for each 5 households.
Separate food waste collection is not provided.
Table 2. Wheeled bin maximum dimensions communal bins stores
Bin Capacity
litres
Max. Height mm
Max. Width mm
Max. Depth mm
660
1100
1250
1470
1373
1375
780
1115
For existing properties not able to accommodate1100 litre bins, 660 litre bins
are available. Where these are not suitable standard bins will be provided.
Where no communal bin storage area is available either internally or
externally to the property, weekly sack collections for refuse and fortnightly
sack collections of recycling will be provided from an agreed collection point.
Garden waste
Garden (green) waste is not collected free of charge. An opt-in chargeable
garden waste collection is provided on an alternate weekly basis using a 240
litre brown bin. This service is provided on a first come first served basis to a
limited number of households. Places are therefore subject to availability and
there are some geographical limitations due to unsuitable access for the size
of collection vehicle used.
LOCATION AND COLLECTION POINTS OF CONTAINERS
Collection of bins from domestic properties is from the front edge of property.
This is the point at which the property adjoins the nearest public highway.
Private roads or developments must adhere to the same principle of collection
method as provided to other residents within the District.
In multiple occupancy buildings collection shall be from the bin storage area.
Storage areas should be located at vehicle access level, preferably away from
the main entrance to the building and should be constructed in such a way
that containers can be removed directly to the outside without having to pass
through any part of the building. The overall dimensions of the storage area
will be determined by the number, size and type of containers used. Sufficient
consideration must be given to the space required to allow containers not only
to be used with ease but also to be manoeuvred for emptying and cleaning. If
containers are kept in an enclosed space then a minimum height of 2 metres
is recommended.
In the event of logistical constraints that do not allow the normal collection
methods to be used, then consideration should be given to the ease of access
for refuse freighters and collectors alike. Access and egress from the site
should give a high priority to the health and safety considerations of the
collectors and general public.
ROADS AND APPROACHES TO BUILDINGS
Roads providing access to buildings and properties should have foundations
and a hardwearing surface capable of withstanding the gross vehicle weight
of the waste collection vehicle and meet criteria laid down by ‘Worcester
County Council Design Guides.’ (www.worcestershire.gov.uk). Any manhole
cover or gulley must be ‘Grade A’ type.
Vehicles
At present (06/2010) the fleet of vehicles used in the District is of 32 tonnes
gross vehicle weight. Consideration should also be given to the curvature of
any entrance splay or any other turns necessary to access or to egress the
property. Construction should allow for a vehicle length of 11650 mm, a width
of 2500 mm and a minimum operating height of 5500 mm.
Turning circles
Turning circles are important for operating collection vehicles and
consideration should be given to manoeuvring requirements; the maximum
turning circle, wall to wall, for current vehicles is 23 metres. All access roads
should be clearly marked, signed and controlled to prevent unauthorised
parking.
COLLECTION OF CONTAINERS
The distance collectors should have to cover in respect of transporting waste
containers to and from the collection vehicle should be minimised to achieve
an economical service. The collector should not normally be required to carry
waste containers (sacks, boxes etc.) or move two wheeled containers more
than 25 metres, nor to move four wheeled containers from storage points to
collecting vehicles more than 10 metres. The collectors should not be required
to move wheeled bins over surfaces that may hinder the smooth passage of
the container. These guidelines are taken from the Manual Handling
Regulations 1992 (4) and Getting to grips with Manual Handling (12).