Social distancing measures remain in place at all the council’s HRCs across the county, reducing the number of people allowed on site at any time. Coupled with the expected increase in visitor numbers over the Easter weekend, long waits to enter each site are expected.

People are asked to store their waste at home if they are able to do so safely, until the public health safety restrictions at HRCs are relaxed. If this is not possible, the council is requesting that you consider delaying your trip to the tip until after the Easter break.

If you do need to use an HRC this Easter, expect long delays and queuing traffic.

Opening hours will be changing from 1 April to summer opening times (9am to 6pm daily). However, employees are still unable to assist with moving waste, and reuse areas will remain closed.

Portfolio holder for Customer and Community Services at Dorset Council, Cllr Jill Haynes, said: “We’re already seeing more people than usual at our HRCs this year, and the Easter weekend is typically one of our busiest times. While we’re pleased that people want to recycle their waste correctly and Covid-19 restrictions are starting to relax, the fact remains that we need to keep social distancing measures in place at our sites for a while longer to ensure the safety of visitors and staff.

“Therefore, we are continuing to politely request that people consider whether their “trip to the tip” is necessary this Easter. If you can keep your waste at home safely, then it is not necessary to visit an HRC over the Bank Holiday weekend. If you absolutely must drop your waste off, please be warned there are likely to be long delays.

“We need to work together to reduce the scale of the problem as public health measures must remain in place. I want to thank all of those who have helped us by choosing to keep their waste safely at home until safety measures are lifted. This way we can keep all the sites fully open for those who need to use them and not impose further restrictions. We appreciate your co-operation and understanding.”