Recycling centres now open five days per week

Recycling centres now open five days per week

24 June 2020

THE district’s recycling centres are now open five days a week.

Local politicians last week agreed the detail of a roadmap towards the full reopening of the sites in Downpatrick, Castlewellan and Ballynahinch which were closed as part of the coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

The centres are now open from Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm and it is hoped that in the not too distant future, they will also open on a Saturday between 8am and noon.

Agreement to extend the centre’s opening hours came at last week’s virtual meeting of Newry, Mourne and 

Down Council’s Neighbourhood Services Committee. But there no plans for Sunday opening of the centres at this stage.

The relaxation of lockdown measures outlined by the Northern Ireland Executive is expected to pave the way for all of the local authority’s 10 recycling centres to fully reopen.

But with a review of the centres already underway, council officers are insisting that any move back to normal operations before the global pandemic will be based on a new operating model, if agreed by councillors.

In addition to extending the opening of the centres to five days a week, council officials have confirmed that additional waste can now be taken to them, including electrical goods and mattresses.

The complete list of material includes wood and metal waste, a maximum of six bags of general household waste, including garden waste, paper, cardboard, cans and bottles, empty paint tins and two five litre tins of domestic waste paint.

The relaxation of what material can be taken to the centres also includes two five litre containers of waste oil and small electrical items, for example, microwaves, kettles and toasters.

Large electrical items which can be taken for recycling include a maximum of two fridges and cookers, bicycles and home furnishings, with the latter broken down for disposal.

People bringing large items for disposal must be accompanied by another person in the same vehicle to assist with off-loading. Due to social distancing measures, council staff are not permitted to provide assistance.

No commercial waste will be accepted and users will also be required to pre-sort waste before entry is permitted.