Oxfordshire's recycling centres to introduce booking system

Currently, people can visit the sites during opening hours without pre-booking.

However, Oxfordshire County Council plans to extend a booking system already in place for residents wanting to dispose of small quantities of DIY waste, to all users.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, deputy leader of Oxfordshire County Council with responsibility for climate change, environment, and future generations, approved the measure on Thursday, November 14, at his cabinet member’s decision meeting.

He said: "Our residents have helped Oxfordshire top the national recycling, reusing, and composting table for 10 years in a row, so we know they are committed to reducing waste.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, deputy leader of Oxfordshire County Council (Image: Oxfordshire County Council) "We are confident that they will see the benefits of this new system, which will help them avoid long queues by booking a time slot in advance, and lead to better customer service from our household waste recycling centres employees."

According to the council, a booking system will improve traffic management, reduce queues, and boost recycling rates as staff will be able to assist visitors in separating their recyclable from their non-recyclable waste.

It will also allow for more targeted communication with customers about their scheduled visit.

The council also said the system will save taxpayers' money by preventing trade waste from being illegally disposed of at the recycling centres.

A study conducted in 2022 found no evidence that the introduction of booking systems led to an increase in fly-tipping.

The booking system will be online, but residents without internet access will be able to book slots over the phone.

No date has been set for the booking scheme to come into operation, but the council is aiming to have the system in place before the temporary closure of Redbridge recycling centre.

The Oxford site will be closed for around three months to allow for stabilisation work to be carried out.

This work is expected to begin in 2025.

As Redbridge would normally receive 40,000 visitors in these three months, it is anticipated these people would go to their nearest alternative site instead, increasing demand and queuing times.

Therefore, the council argues a booking system will help to alleviate any short-term issues arising from the temporary closure.

Councillor Sudbury added: "Booking systems have already been successfully introduced in many other parts of the country, including Swindon, West Berkshire, Suffolk, Kent, and Gloucestershire, for several years.

"We consulted other authorities where similar systems are in place and received strong feedback about how it can improve the service."