Waste management
Case reference FOI2026/00472
Received 2 March 2026
Published 31 March 2026
Request
1. Is refuse and recycling collection carried out directly by the local authority or by an external contractor (or contractors)?
2. 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.
Response
Please find the answers to your queries below:
1. Is refuse and recycling collection carried out directly by the local authority or by an external contractor (or contractors)?
Directly by the Local Authority.
2. If an external contractor is used, please provide the contractor name(s) and the start date of the current contract(s).
N/A.
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.
We provide mandatory training on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (‘EDI’) which includes a section on reasonable adjustments. I am unable to provide you with the documentation as it does not belong to Guildford Borough Council and is copyrighted by the training provider. We are also currently in the process of reviewing the training that we provide to identify where we can provide more robust training, especially to managers, and disability training is in the list of training that is under review.
Additional disability training that may be required can also be arranged by individual Team Leaders for their service areas on an ad hoc basis, as and when needed.
Please also find attached our ‘Guide to Reasonable Adjustments for Service Users’, which all new starters are required to read.
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.
a) 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025 – 147 complaints were received relating to ‘bins’ in this period.
b) 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024 – 107 complaints were received relating to ‘bins’ in this period.
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.
We do not have a disability marker and unfortunately due to limitations in our software it would take us over 18 hours to obtain this data, which would place a substantial and possibly unreasonable burden on resources. This part of your request is therefore exempt under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act (where the cost of compliance exceeds the appropriate limit).
However, based on a simple search, we have received the following complaints based on the below search terms:
1st January 2024 to 31st December 2024:
Search term of “obstruction” = 1 complaint for ‘bins not collected and obstruction’.
Search term of “obstructed” = 0 complaints.
Search term of “accessibility” = 0 complaints.
Search term of “blocked” = 0 complaints.
Search term of “pavement blocked” = 0 complaints.
Search term of “access” = 4 complaints, two of which relate to bins as follows: 1 complaint relating to a bin being put back in a driveway in a manner which caused an access issue for the homeowner when they attempted to pull back into their driveway in their car; 1 complaint related to bins being collected late due to the bin lorry not being able to access a narrow road due to the way cars were parked along the street. The other two complaints related to the following topics: 1 x ‘inability to access phone service; 1 x ‘business rates access and response times’.
1st January 2025 to 31st December 2025:
Search term of “obstruction” = 1 complaint relating to vehicles parking in a manner which blocks access to a private driveway.
Search term of “obstructed” = 0 complaints.
Search term of “accessibility” = 1 complaint relating to difficulties with reaching the Council Tax department by phone.
Search term of “blocked” = 0 complaints.
Search term of “pavement blocked” = 0 complaints.
Search term of “access” = 8 complaints (related to the following topics: 3 x complaints related to ‘repairs access’; 1 x ‘access to planning information’; 1 x ‘access to Council Tax Department’; 1 x ‘access to tenant garages’; 1 x ‘obstruction of access to private driveway’; 1 x ‘cost for licence to access disabled property’).
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.
Information regarding how to report an issue can be found via the following links:
https://www.guildford.gov.uk/report
https://www.guildford.gov.uk/missedbins
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.
Please find our accessibility statement via the following link:
https://www.guildford.gov.uk/accessibility
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team
Guildford Borough Council
Documents
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