New Materials in Highland Blue Bins announced during Recycle Week!
It’s National Recycle Week (22nd-28th June) and, tying in with this year’s theme ‘recycling around the home’, The Highland Council is pleased to announce that householders can now recycle more items in their blue recycling bins. Aerosols, cardboard-based food and drink cartons (e.g. TetraPak) and envelopes can be included immediately with more materials to follow later in the year.
As with the existing materials (paper, cardboard, food tins, drink cans and plastic bottles) householders are requested to ensure that all items are clean, dry and loose. Aerosols should be empty and food and drink cartons drained, rinsed and with their tops removed; plastic windows should also be removed from envelopes. Later in the year householders and commercial customers of the Highland Council will receive information on the launch of a further improved recycling service for plastic packaging containers.
The contract to process all of the blue bin material from The Highland Council area was recently awarded to local firm, Wm Munro Construction (Highland), Ltd, Alness, Ross-shire.
Councillor, Allan Henderson, Chair of The Highland Council’s Community Services Committee met up with the Recycling team to promote National Recycling Week. He said: “Last year in Highland around 16,000 tonnes of recycling was collected in the blue bins and I am sure that the improved service will be welcomed by residents who have proved themselves to be keen recyclers. We do ask, however, that people keep to the materials specified in our current launch and ensure that items are empty, clean and loose - with no bags – which cause real problems on the picking line.
“Since the blue bin recycling service was rolled out more than 5 years ago, the quality of material coming out of the Highlands has had an excellent reputation with reprocessors for its cleanliness which we are keen to maintain. Contaminated material in a single bin could lead to a whole vehicle load being rejected and landfilled at a much greater cost to both the Council and the environment.”
Councillor, Henderson added: ”It is also great news that this material is now being handled in the Highlands as this will secure the existing workforce and allow the contractor to create additional jobs in the area.”
The Waste Awareness Team will be updating their publicity materials to ensure that the public – and businesses - are kept informed of the changes. They will also be promoting the changes at a number of events and Shows over the summer.
For further information about the new items that can be recycled in the blue bins visit: http://www.highland.gov.uk/ , email recycle@highland.gov.uk or call 01349 886603. For further information about this year’s Recycle Week visit http://www.recyclenow.com/
