• Only travel to your local recycling centre if it is essential because you can’t continue to store waste safely at home without it causing injury or harm. No other reason for the journey would be considered a legitimate purpose. Please use your kerbside bins and bulky waste services where possible or store until sites are operating as normal.
• If your journey is essential then check which day you can access the recycling centres based on your vehicle number plate and please be prepared to queue as social distancing measures mean fewer vehicles will be allowed on site at any one time.
• Avoid taking excessive amounts of waste to keep vehicles moving in and out as quickly as possible to help reduce queue times. That means leaving vans and trailers at home for the time being.
• Wear protective gloves, appropriate footwear and clothing and only bring what you can safely handle as staff will not be able to help you carry your waste as they normally would.
• Keep the number of people on site to a minimum by travelling alone – unless you need another adult from your household to help carry your waste – stay at least 2 metres away from staff and other users and wash your hands when you get home.
• Stay at home if you have had coronavirus symptoms in the last 14 days, are self-isolating or at high risk of contracting the virus.

Vehicles will be allowed into recycling centres on certain days depending on whether the last number on their number plate is odd or even. Vehicles with 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 as the last number will be allowed in on even numbered dates in the month and those with 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 will be allowed in on odd numbered dates in the month.

Councillor Simon Spencer, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, said: “We know that many people want to see our recycling centres reopen and I’d like to thank them all for their patience, but we need everyone to take a sensible approach and only visit our sites if it’s absolutely essential because their waste cannot be stored safely at home.”

“Social distancing measures mean fewer vehicles than usual will be allowed on-site and there will be queues – and if the queues start to obstruct the road network we will have to temporarily close the sites so please avoid our sites in the first few weeks if at all possible.”

“Please continue to use the kerbside waste and recycling services run by your district and borough councils and hang on to any items you would normally take to our sites if you can or try selling them online if there’s still some life left in them.”

“If your visit is essential, please read our safety guidance before you travel and remember to stay in your vehicle while queuing.”

“Our priority is the safety of site staff, residents and the wider community. We’ll be keeping a close eye on traffic and taking steps to limit disruption on roads in surrounding areas but there’s no doubt this will be challenging.”

“Staff will be doing all they can to help things run as smoothly as possible so please treat them with respect. You can help by avoiding busy times and checking traffic information and apps before you travel.”

The recycling centres will be open 7 days a week from 8.30am-6pm in the following locations: Ashbourne, Bolsover, Bretby, Chesterfield, Glossop, Ilkeston, Loscoe, Northwood (Darley Dale) and Waterswallows – near Buxton. They do not accept business or trade waste.