A senior councillor says Somerset's recycling centres will re-open to the general public "as soon as it is safe."

The Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) has closed all 16 household recycling centres across the county following the government's guidelines on non-essential travel.

The government has advised people to hold onto waste which they would normally take to these centres – including garden waste (collections of which remain suspended).

But as waste mounts at homes around Somerset, the partnership has said "all options" for re-opening sites were being discussed, including a possible "drive thru" system.

What is the official government guidance?

Journeys to household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) is classed as "non-essential travel" – and therefore is being discouraged.

But while around 90 per cent of such centres in England have now closed (according to the environmental website Let's Recycle), the decision to do so lies with the local authorities, not central government.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) acknowledged on April 7 that "some users of HWRCs may not have capacity to store waste at home indefinitely", and said councils should "consider whether priority sites can be maintained with restricted access."

On April 14, Defra issued a further statement following stories in the national press about a rise in fly-tipping (though the SWP says this trend has not been replicated in Somerset).

A spokesman said: "We are asking people not to put things they would normally recycle or take to the tip in their rubbish bin.

"If there is currently no service in your area to recycle items like electrical appliances, garden waste or batteries, consider holding on to them until services resume.

"Councils' top priority should be the collection of residual 'black bag' waste to stop the build-up of waste and protect public health."

A trip to a recycling centre (if open) would be deemed 'essential' by Defra only if "the build-up of waste in the home may pose a risk of injury or to health."

What does this mean for Somerset?

The SWP has already closed its recycling centres and suspended garden waste collections, allowing it to deploy its staff to ensure both refuse and recycling collections can continue during the crisis.

Councillor Sarah Dyke, who chairs the Somerset Waste Board, said: "I want to see recycling centres reopen as much as anyone, and fully appreciate that not being able to take waste to the tip is really frustrating and inconvenient for many people.

"The centres are closed because the government has in place a ban on non-essential travel. In addition, there are significant challenges of ensuring public and staff safety at busy sites where physical distancing is difficult.

"This guidance is in place to help stop the spread of a virus that has killed thousands of people.

"The SWP is monitoring the guidance on essential travel closely, and is planning ahead now for how best to reopen recycling centres as soon as it is safe to do so, in a way which keeps both staff and the public safe.

"I hope most people will understand the difficulty of the situation and I would ask for everyone's patience and understanding at this extremely difficult time."

What options are being considered?

The SWP is currently exploring a number of options for reopening centres – including a 'drive-thru' system where the number of people entering the site is restricted to preserve social distancing.

A spokesman said: "All options for recycling sites are being discussed, within the rules on social distancing, safety of customers and staff, and non-essential travel."

He also said that location of recycling facilities at supermarkets would be down to retailers.

"If supermarkets want to offer recycling facilities, that is very much up to them," he said.

What should I do with my waste?

There are a number of options if you cannot easily dispose of waste – including composting garden waste. There is plenty of advice available on the SWP website.

What you definitely should NOT do is either fly-tip or burn your waste.

Councillor David Renard, the environment spokesman for the Local Government Association, said: "Residents and businesses can help by following the advice from their local council and continuing to recycle where this is possible.

"Fly-tipping is never acceptable and we urge people and businesses not to burn garden waste – composting or recycling it where possible is better for the environment.

"Burning household waste is an offence and liable to prosecution."