Glasgow council suspending bulk uplift service from Thursday for almost one month - here’s the reason why

Increasing numbers of the council’s cleansing service have been required to self-isolate, as Covid-19 continues to spread.

To make sure that collections of general waste and recycling continue as normal, it is suspending its bulk uplift collections from Thursday.

Bookings are no longer being taken.

The council will reopen its booking services for the collection of bulk items on Monday, January 20, 2022.

Stevie Scott, head of Waste Management for Glasgow City Council, described the decision to suspend the bulk uplift service as regrettable but necessary to protect essential household services during the festive period.

He said: "We are working with the trade unions to ensure that we do everything possible to keep staff safe at work and maintain the city's key cleansing services.

"However, we are seeing rising numbers of staff being required to self-isolate because of this latest wave of Covid-19. When combined with other absences through illness and annual leave, it is inevitable that omicron is going to have an impact on service delivery.

"We are very sorry that the bulk uplift service has to be put on hold during the festive period when households do generate additional waste.

"However, we must prioritise our routine collections of general waste and dry, mixed recycling to protect public health and the environment.

"After almost two years of the pandemic we have well established plans and procedures to minimise the spread of Covid in the workplace and these have been implemented rapidly again.

"We will keep this situation under constant review to protect services and protect public health."

The council's Household Waste Recycling Centres at Polmadie, Dawsholm, Shieldhall and Queenslie are scheduled to remain open as normal throughout the festive period, with the exception of Christmas Day and New Year's Day when the centres are closed.