Householders urged to check Brown Bins now collections have resumed
Brown bin garden waste collections have started up again after a 3 month break over the winter and The Highland Council is urging householders to check their bins carefully for any contamination that may have got into them whilst they have been sitting unused.
The brown waste bin is for garden generated organic material only and nothing else should be put in the bins – with the exception of cut flowers from the house. Plastic bags (or any other plastic), soil, stones and rubble must not be included.
Last March the Waste Team carried out extra monitoring to check for and reject contaminated bins which resulted in a marked improvement in quality compared to the previous year. The Council will again be making additional checks now collections have resumed.
Chair of The Highland Council’s Community Services Committee, Councillor Allan Henderson, said: “It is very important that we maintain the quality of our garden waste. Composted material has to meet stringent (PAS 100) standards and failure to do so comes at a considerable financial cost to the Council.”
The garden waste bin is for grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, twigs and small branches, flowers, plants and weeds only. Notifiable weeds (such as ragwort and Japanese knotweed), animal waste material and kitchen waste should NOT be included. Any excess garden waste can be deposited in the garden waste facilities at Recycling Centres.
Householders might also like to consider home composting; this also gives them the opportunity to include raw fruit and vegetable waste from the kitchen. Additionally home composting provides a valuable source of compost for the garden - or for growing plants in pots.
For more information on the garden waste collection service, details of what can and can’t go in the brown bin, and for details of facilities at Recycling Centres, go to www.highland.gov.uk/recycle. You can also call 01349 886603.
To check your collection day and download a new calendar please visit: www.highland.gov.uk/recycle
For information on home composting visit http://www.recycleforscotland.com/reduce/home-composting