Garden waste

Driver shortage impacts waste and recycling collections

Collections of recycling and general waste continue to be impacted by staff shortages in the London labour market. There is a particular impact on HGV drivers needed to deliver vital waste and recycling collection services. Our waste management company Veolia continues to recruit and train employees to deliver services. Despite this, some collections are taking place later than scheduled.

Update: Friday 24 March

We are currently completing most collections on their scheduled day so please continue to put your bins out for collection on your normal day. If your collection is missed, please leave your bins out and we will get to you as soon as possible. Some areas were outstanding yesterday, these will be collected as soon as possible 

• Recycling in CR0, SE19 and SE25
• Refuse in SE25

If your entire street is not collected

Please do not report a missed collection. Leave your waste and recycling out and our crews will try to get to you as soon as possible.

If other properties on your street are collected

Please continue to report individual missed collections in the same way as usual.

Report a missed collection

If your garden waste collection is missed you must report it within 2 working days starting at 10pm on the day of the collection.

If we missed your collection by mistake, we will reschedule collection for within 48 hours after you report the problem. You can report a garden waste collection problem online.

Report now

We will not return if the collection was not our mistake – for example if your garden waste bin was:

• not left for collection at the front of your property
• contaminated with something other than garden waste
• over-filled, preventing the lid from closing
• too heavy from waste being compacted
• in your back garden
• locked behind a gate or door

In these cases we will put a tag on your bin to explain why it was not collected. You will then have to wait for your next scheduled collection.