A rubbish collector needed first aid after broken glass was thrown away in a blue bag for general waste.

Veolia, which runs the waste collection services in Wokingham Borough, said there had been a rise in reports of sharp items being disposed of unsafely. It comes after the council issued an appeal to residents not to throw away sharp items in their blue bags.

Scott Edgell, General Manager for Veolia South London & South said: “In May, one of our waste collection operatives was cut by broken glass placed inside a resident’s blue rubbish bag.

“Fortunately, our team member only needed minor first aid but with a recent rise in reports of other sharp materials, we’d like to remind residents to consider our staff when disposing of sharp materials, like scissors, knives or broken glass.

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“Please help keep our team safe by recycling items such as scissors and knives at household recycling centres. Broken glass should either be taken to on-street glass banks for recycling, or wrapped carefully in newspaper before being placed in rubbish bags for collection.”

Another Wokingham rubbish collector was left needing hospital treatment after a similar incident in 2021. Wokingham Borough Council said he was taken to hospital in an ambulance after picking up a blue rubbish bag with unwrapped broken glass inside.

Mr Edgell said: “At Veolia, all our teams are equipped with PPE and it is our priority to ensure their safety as they carry out essential services.”