Southend-on-Sea City Council is asking residents to put their bins out earlier than usual this week to help protect waste collection crews from extreme heat.
The Met Office has issued an extended amber heat warning covering Monday 22 June to Friday 26 June, with temperatures forecast to reach up to 38°C (100°F).
To reduce the risk to staff working in high temperatures, SUEZ collection crews will begin their rounds one hour earlier than usual, from 6:00am BST.
Normal collection times are expected to resume from Monday 29 June. However, if the hot weather continues, the earlier start times may be extended. Residents will be updated if this happens.
Residents are asked to support crews by ensuring all scheduled waste (including wheelie bins, food caddies, boxes and sacks) is placed out for collection by 6:00am.
Councillor Daniel Cowan, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Regeneration and LGR, said: “Our crews carry out physically demanding work and provide a vital service to residents. Starting earlier in the day helps reduce their exposure to extreme heat and ensures collections can continue safely.
We're asking residents to play their part by putting bins out earlier. This will help us maintain collections while minimising the impact of the heat on our teams.”
Efforts will be made to keep noise disruption to a minimum during the earlier collection times.
Residents can also sign up for collection notifications and reminders via the Southend Waste App, which has already been downloaded by nearly 49,000 people.
Find out more on our resident recycling and waste bin app page.