Bin collections across Gloucester started earlier than normal from Monday 6 July as the council asks households to put out their waste and recycling by 5.30am on their usual day. The change, announced by Gloucester City Council, will run until Friday 10 July while high temperatures are forecast.
Waste and recycling crews will begin rounds before the sun climbs to its peak, completing collections ahead of the hottest part of each day. Residents should leave bins and containers at the kerbside no later than half past five in the morning. The council will review the arrangement on Monday 13 July and confirm whether normal times can resume.
The decision follows a pattern set across the wider region just a month earlier. When a June 2026 heatwave pushed temperatures towards 38C, neighbouring authorities took similar steps. Cheltenham Borough Council and Somerset Council moved collections forward to 6am, while rounds in Bristol started as early as 5am. During that spell, soaring temperatures caused repeated disruption, with bin lorries suffering numerous breakdowns and malfunctioning mechanisms. Councillor Steve Harvey from Cheltenham Borough Council said at the time that the earlier starts were introduced “to help our crews and vehicles cope in the heat and ensure that they’re able to complete the scheduled collections.”
Early morning collections also help contain strong odours and hygiene problems that can arise when rubbish lingers in extreme heat.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
