New refuse and recycling collections begin in Sutherland next week

The introduction of The Highland Council’s new refuse and recycling collections in Sutherland begins next week. The new service will see a fortnightly refuse collection alternating with a fortnightly co-mingled recycling collection from blue wheelie bins on the same day of the week.

All householders in Sutherland should now have received a blue wheeled bin, a collection calendar and a guide booklet detailing how the new service will operate. 

The new co-mingled recycling collection is for paper, cardboard, food tins, drink cans and plastic bottles. All items should be clean and placed loose in the blue recycling bin with no plastic bags. The bins do not accept glass so residents are urged to take these to Recycling Points and Centres.

The new collections, which have been introduced across The Highland Council area over the past year and a half, have seen a significant increase in the amount of recyclable material collected and even larger decrease in the total waste arising.

Chairman of the TEC Services Committee and member for the East Sutherland and Edderton ward, Councillor Graham Phillips said: “Coming into my role as chairman. I have become very aware of the ambitious national targets for recycling and cutting the amount of waste ending up in landfill sites across the country.  In Highland areas where the new collections are already up and running, the amount of recyclables collected has gone up by 4,300 tonnes and the amount going to landfill has fallen by 9,566 tonnes. This has been due to the positive way in which people have responded to the changes and I would like to take the opportunity to thank them all.

“Many people living in Sutherland have excelled in playing their part in recycling and reducing waste by making full use of the excellent kerbside service offered by GREAN.  I am fully aware that the transition to the council’s new collection service is going to require people to adjust their recycling habits but I am confident this will be done as smoothly as it has proved to be elsewhere.”

Businesses in the area have also been offered recycling collections by The Highland Council for the first time and are indeed obliged to recycle paper, cardboard, tins and plastic bottles as a condition of their contract.
Anyone who has not received their bin, calendar or guide should contact the Council on 01349 886603.

The Highland Council’s Waste Awareness Team can offer advice on reducing waste and increasing recycling to both householders and The Council’s business customers and can be contacted on 01349 886603.