Nearly all councils are planning on opening Household Waste Recycling Centres in the next two weeks, a survey has revealed.

The sixth report into the impact of Covid-19 on waste services shows 94% of responding councils have plans to open some of their sites. More than half will open services up this week, with a further 40% planning on opening sites next week.

Published by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT), the survey shows 93% of councils are reporting an increase in household waste.

Ian Fielding, chair of ADEPT’s Waste Group said: 'This week has seen HWRCs reopen across the country. We continue to monitor the situation closely as councils respond to Government guidance and work out how to operate sites in line with social distancing requirements.

'The safety of our operatives and the public remains paramount so inevitably, some HWRCs will need to remain closed if appropriate safety measures cannot be implemented.'