FOI/EIR 25/26-568-Waste Policies

Details of all waste policies and training regarding disability

Request received 2 March 2026

1.Policies and guidance on bins and obstructions

Please provide copies of any current policies, procedures, guidance, or staff instructions that relate to keeping pavements and footways clear on or around refuse and recycling collection days, including any specific instructions about the placement or return of wheelie bins and preventing obstructions.

2. Operational responsibility

Is refuse and recycling collection carried out directly by the local authority or by an external contractor (or contractors)? If an external contractor is used, please provide the contractor name(s) and the start date of the current contract(s).

3. Staff training on disability and accessibility

Please provide details of any training provided to refuse and recycling collection staff (including contractors) that relates to disability awareness, visual impairment awareness, or accessibility, including:

a) training/course title(s) and who provides them (internal or external),

b) the frequency of training (for example induction only, annual refresher), and

c) copies of any training materials, slides, handouts, or guidance documents currently used.

4. Volume of disability and obstruction related contacts

Please provide the number of reports, complaints, or service requests recorded by the council (or on its behalf) that relate specifically to wheelie bins, other bins or waste bags causing obstruction or accessibility issues for pedestrians, including disabled people (for example blind or partially sighted people, wheelchair users, or people using mobility aids), for each of the following periods:

a) 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025, and

b) 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024.

Where records are categorised or searchable, please provide: the category label(s) used (for example “obstruction”, “access”, “pavement blocked”), and the search terms, tags, or filters you used to identify the relevant records.

If you do not record a specific “disability” marker, please provide the number of wheelie bin reports that are categorised as “obstruction”, “accessibility”, “pavement/footway blocked”, or equivalent. If none of these categories exist, please provide the closest available proxy measure you hold (for example cases recorded under “street obstruction” where the narrative references a wheelie bin), and briefly describe what that proxy is.

5. How the public can report bin issues

Please provide details of the methods currently available for members of the public to report bin issues (for example online form, telephone, email, webchat, in person), including:

a) the relevant contact points (for example the email address or web page title), and

b) copies of any published guidance the council provides to the public on reporting these issues.

6. Accessibility of reporting routes (information held)

Please provide copies of any documents you hold that relate to the accessibility of the above reporting methods for disabled users, including blind and partially sighted people, such as accessibility statements, WCAG compliance information, audits, equality impact assessments, and any policy on reasonable adjustments or alternative formats for reporting.

Responded 27 March 2026

1. Please see Attachment 1 for the Crew Training Document. Please see Attachment 2 for the Policy.
2. From the Memorandum of Agreement in place between the Council and ECSS:

2.8 ECSS shall collect Domestic Waste from each Domestic Property on a designated day each week.

2.9 ECSS is required to collect all refuse sacks, large capacity bins, paper and plastic sacks positioned by residents on the boundary of their property with the highway (i.e. boundary of premise nearest to or on the highway) and to return any empty containers to their original location without creating unnecessary obstruction.

2.10 ECSS shall maintain and update in accordance with the Council's policies, the Assisted Collections List where ECSS is required to collect the wheeled bin, large capacity bins, paper and plastic from the point of storage (i.e. the place where the refuse sacks, large capacity bin, paper or plastic sack is normally kept by the occupier) and to return any waste containers to the normal point of storage after emptying.

Collections are carried out by East Cambs Street Scene Ltd (ECSS), a company owned by East Cambridgeshire District Council.

3. Managers are required to attend ‘The Importance of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’ training every 3 years.
4. We do not hold this information other than the number of all complaints, comments and compliments received about the services provided. These will also include those related to the street cleansing service:
a) 80
b) 48
5. This information is available on our website:
a) https://eastcambs.gov.uk/services/waste-and-recycling
b) https://eastcambs.gov.uk/contact-us/contact-customer-services
6. This information is available on our website:
Accessibility statement | East Cambridgeshire District Council