All 16 of Somerset Waste Partnership’s recycling centres will be open after the Bank Holiday weekend.

Eleven sites re-opened earlier this month and the remaining five sites in Cheddar, Crewkerne, Castle Cary, Minehead and Somerton, will also operate from Tuesday, May 26, on temporary timetables. All sites had been closed in response to coronavirus.

SWP is asking people only visit sites if it’s really necessary. Long queues are expected at certain times, especially first thing in the morning, as the number of unloading bays has been reduced to allow social distancing.

Queue cams are viewable for Bridgwater, Chard, Highbridge, Minehead, Somerton, Street, Yeovil and Priorswood.

Restrictions on access and materials remain in place, though from Tuesday (May 26) all sites will also be accepting waste oil (such as engine oil in five-litre disposable containers) and scrap metal as well as:

Rubbish – material you would usually put in your black rubbish bin, excess black bags not taken by kerbside collections, and bulky items like furniture

Green waste – garden waste such as grass cuttings, leaves, hedge trimmings

Large household electrical items – white goods, cookers TVs etc

Hazardous household chemicals such as pesticides, weed killers & insecticides

Opening arrangements for next week are as follows:

Nine recycling sites – Bridgwater, Chard, Frome, Highbridge, Street, Taunton, Wellington, Wells, Yeovil – are open six days a week: Monday (including Bank Holiday), Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday – 9am-6pm; Saturday, Sunday – 9am-4pm; Thursday – closed.

The other seven sites are also open Saturday and Sunday 9am-4pm, and on a varied weekday schedule.

Bank Holiday Monday 9am-6pm: ten sites open. Castle Cary, Cheddar, Crewkerne, Dulverton, Minehead, Somerton closed.

Tuesday, May 26, 9am-6pm: 15 sites open. Dulverton closed.

Wednesday, May 27, 9am-6pm: ten sites open. Castle Cary, Cheddar, Crewkerne, Dulverton, Somerton, Williton closed.

Thursday, May 28: All closed.

Friday, May 29 , 9am-6pm: ten sites open. Castle Cary, Cheddar, Crewkerne, Dulverton, Somerton, Williton closed.

Saturday-Sunday, May 30-31, 9am-4pm: all 16 sites open.

The opening hours for all 16 sites from June 1 will be reviewed during the next week.

The odd and even vehicle number plate system will still be in place to control numbers:

Odd numbers on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday (for example 01, 03, 15, 19 etc)

Even numbers on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday (for example 02, 04, 10, 12, 18 etc)

A maximum of two people per household will be permitted and gloves must be worn while outside your vehicle and strict social distancing must be adhered to.

Trailers and 3.5 tonne vans are only allowed access during the new allocated slot of between 4-6pm on weekdays.

Any items you would usually pay to have disposed of will not be accepted – including tyres, gas bottles, soil and hardcore, vehicle parts, commercial waste, plasterboard and asbestos.

Access to the normal recycling banks will not be possible, so unless you really need to, please don’t bring cardboard, food and drink cans, paper, food waste, plastic bottles, glass bottles and jars. These can be recycled using the continuing weekly recycle collections. https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/recycling-collections/

If you want to recycle waste wood, plastic pots tubs and trays, TetraPaks and small electricals, please hold on to them until the sites return to normal.

A spokesperson for SWP said: “We’re very grateful for the way people have by and large done the right thing and understood the restrictions we’ve put in place to make sure staff and the public can stay safe.

“That’s why we can stick to the plans to reopen the remaining sites next week. We’re constantly reviewing things and looking to ease restrictions as soon as possible within the ongoing social distancing restrictions. We thank everyone for their patience.”

For more information about how to reduce and reuse your waste, visit www.somersetwaste.gov.uk

For the latest information about services and any disruption visit www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/coronavirus and follow @somersetwaste on Twitter and Facebook.