Staff were told to remain “50 metres” away from the site until “further notice”.
Sussex Police have now confirmed that the incident is being investigated as a “bomb hoax”.
A spokesperson for the force said: “Police attended an incident at the Brighton and Hove City Council Depot in Upper Hollingbury Road on Wednesday morning (20 August).
“We carried out an assessment and the incident is being investigated as a bomb hoax.”
Councillor Jacob Taylor, Deputy Leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “Following a serious safety concern at the depot earlier today, the decision was taken to temporarily evacuate the site.
“This was a precautionary measure to allow us to confirm there was no immediate risk to staff working at the depot.
“The relevant emergency services were informed and attended, and we can confirm our staff have now returned to the depot and their duties.
“Sussex Police is investigating it as a bomb hoax and we will continue to liaise with them and remain attentive to any risks while ensuring the continuity of the essential public service our team works so hard to provide.
“The safety and security of our staff is our priority and I would like to thank those at the depot and those who continued working elsewhere for their professionalism.”
Earlier today, residents reported seeing bin lorries queuing down the road and police cars parked at the depot gates.
One eyewitness described the police presence as “alarming”.
They said: “I have never seen anything like it.
“I was shocked to see so many people evacuated. Everyone was driving by causing traffic chaos.
“It was alarming to see the police there. I didn’t know if someone had been hurt.
“It must have affected the bins terribly today and Brighton struggles enough with bin collections.
“It looked like a major incident, so I was concerned.”
“A bit of frustration from the public too, with several rubbish lorries backed up Hollingdean Road.
“Of course, any threat like this should be taken seriously, but the public should also be informed in a timely and effective manner”
It included reports of intimidation towards managers at work and at home, and two managers having had their tyres slashed. It also found that missed bin collections had almost doubled.
The report followed an inquiry in 2023, commissioned by the council after a whistleblowing complaint, which highlighted issues where workers were regularly violent, racist, homophobic, and misogynistic to other staff members.
In May this year, it was announced that the council service would be renamed from Cityclean to Environmental Services.
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