Make the most of recycling this Christmas
With the introduction of new materials to the blue recycling bin in the summer, Highland Council residents are being encouraged to make full use of the improved service this festive period.
Since the summer householders have been able to recycle envelopes (plastic windows removed), cardboard food and drink cartons, aerosols and clean plastic pots, tubs and trays - as well as paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, food tins and drink cans.
Councillor Allan Henderson, Chair of The Highland Council’s Community Services Committee said: “Taking full advantage of adding these extra items to blue bins is not only good for the environment but will also save space in people’s refuse bins over the busy Christmas period. A handy tip to save space in your blue bin is to make sure all cardboard boxes, plastic bottles and juice cartons are flattened when you put them in. By increasing the amount we recycle we are saving Council taxpayers’ money as landfilled material costs Highland Council nearly £150 a tonne, with landfill tax alone making up £82.60 of this amount.”
Households are reminded of the changes to collection dates over the Festive period: Anyone who normally has a Friday collection will have their bins emptied on the Tuesdays preceding Christmas Day and New Year’s Day(22nd and 29th Dec) and those with a Tuesday collection will have their bins emptied on the previous Saturday (19th and 26th December). Stickers will be placed onto householders bins that are affected by the change to collections.
Councilor Henderson added: “I would also urge householders to recycle as much other stuff as possible - in particular all those heavy glass jars and bottles of which we all have so many during the festive period, using Recycling Points and Centres. If everyone in the UK recycled one more glass bottle it would stop nearly 4,000 cars worth of CO2 getting into the atmosphere.”
Imogen Percy-Bell from the Council’s Waste Awareness Team said: “Christmas is often a time when we have a clear-out of clothes, toys, books, household goods, making space for new possessions. Again we should all be thinking how we can recycle, or even better, find a new use for these items by donating them to charity shops or offering them on internet reuse sites or newspaper small ads. Most Recycling Points and all our Recycling Centres now have textile banks and many Recycling Centres have reuse containers for donations.”
Recycling Centres are open throughout the Christmas period except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and 1st, 2nd January. Check The Highland Council website: www.highland.gov.uk/recycle for full details of Recycling Centre opening hours and to check your Christmas refuse and recycling collections.
Inverness residents are also reminded to make maximum use of their food waste collection service not forgetting to include items such as turkey bones, plate scrapings, tea bags and coffee grinds as well as the usual fruit and vegetable peelings. If your caddy has gone missing, please get in touch and a new one will be delivered to you.
For further information about recycling in the Highlands visit: http://www.highland.gov.uk/ , email recycle@highland.gov.uk or call 01349 886603.