Three Mid Ulster Council recycling centres to reopen next week

Recycling centres in Cookstown, Dungannon and Magherafelt will now be available for the disposal of waste, with strict access conditions in place and limited opening hours.

The decision follows the announcement yesterday by the NI Executive that travelling to recycling centres is now considered an ‘acceptable reason to travel’.

Members of the public are asked to visit the recycling centres only:

- If they are unable to use their existing bins to dispose of their waste and material for recycling and cannot store excess waste safely at home

- If they are able to lift their waste directly into the site’s skips and containers.

A traffic management system will be in place to ensure a limited and safe number of vehicles are in the sites at any one time. Social distancing measures will also be in place.

Only trailers with green waste for disposal will be accepted.

Opening hours will be: Cookstown 9am – 6pm; Dungannon and Magherafelt 9am – 1pm 3pm – 6pm.

Chair of the Council, Councillor Martin Kearney, said: “While we know the re-opening will be welcomed by many, we cannot emphasise enough how critical it is that local people only visit the centres if it is absolutely necessary.

“Access controls will be strict and queuing is very likely, so we ask anyone coming to the sites to show patience and understanding and to be courteous to our staff at all times.

“We continue to ask members of the public to consider the amount of waste they produce and to follow advice and tips on how we can all reduce the impact on our services and on the environment”.

Other recycling centres will reopen on phased basis over time, where appropriate access and social distancing measures can be introduced.

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