Recycling rounds missed after several vehicles put out of action
Recycling collections in parts of Somerset were disrupted on Monday, 13 July, after what the council described as “several vehicle issues” curtailed planned rounds. The interruption affected households in six towns, with crews set to return on Tuesday to complete missed pickups.
Somerset Council’s waste services said that while hundreds of roadside collections were not completed during the day, the impact varied by area. The council highlighted that some addresses would not receive their scheduled recycling service and asked residents to keep materials at the kerbside for catch-up collections.
“We’re sorry, following several vehicle issues today (13 July) we won’t be able to reach everyone as planned. Some households in and around Burnham-on-Sea, Wincanton, Templecombe, Frome, Bruton and Shepton Mallet may not have a recycling collection today. If your recycling isn’t collected, please leave your boxes, bags and bins out. Crews will return to collect them tomorrow. Thank you for your patience.”
Where collections were affected
The disruption was concentrated in the following locations, according to the council’s statement:
- Burnham-on-Sea
- Wincanton
- Templecombe
- Frome
- Bruton
- Shepton Mallet
The council did not specify the number of households on each route but confirmed that the issues involved multiple vehicles, limiting crews’ ability to complete their usual rounds by the end of the day.
What residents should do
Households whose recycling was not picked up have been asked to keep their containers out for the follow-up collections on Tuesday. The request applies to boxes, bags and bins placed at the roadside as part of the regular recycling service. No further preparation changes were advised in the council’s update.
| Area | Service affected | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Burnham-on-Sea | Recycling | Leave out for Tuesday recovery |
| Wincanton | Recycling | Leave out for Tuesday recovery |
| Templecombe | Recycling | Leave out for Tuesday recovery |
| Frome | Recycling | Leave out for Tuesday recovery |
| Bruton | Recycling | Leave out for Tuesday recovery |
| Shepton Mallet | Recycling | Leave out for Tuesday recovery |
Why this matters
Missed rounds can quickly lead to backlogs, particularly in summer when participation in kerbside recycling is high. By keeping containers out, residents in the affected areas will enable crews to complete the recovery runs more efficiently on their return. The council’s note indicates the disruption was operational rather than weather-related, with vehicle reliability the critical factor.
While the council referenced missed roadside rubbish and recycling collections more broadly, Monday’s direct advisory focused on recycling in the six named towns. No separate guidance was issued for general refuse in the update provided.
Next steps and further updates
Further detail on the nature of the vehicle problems was not given. The council said crews will prioritise completing the outstanding recycling collections on Tuesday. Residents elsewhere in Somerset whose collections went ahead as normal are not required to take any action.
InfoRadar will continue to monitor service notices from Somerset Council. If additional towns are added to the disruption list or if recovery rounds are delayed, we will provide an update with any revised instructions for residents.
