In a move to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill The Highland Council will be running a new 6 month trial of new waste collections in Skye and Lochalsh. During the next few weeks all residents will receive a card in the post giving details of the new service which starts on the 6th September.
Blue recycling bin collections on a 4 week cycle were introduced in February 2009 and have proved successful. For the six month trial, frequency of these collections will increase to once a fortnight and alternate with a fortnightly refuse collection of the grey and green bins. The collection dates for blue bins will change to be on the same day of the week as the refuse collection to make it easier for people to get into a regular routine of putting a bin out once a week.
During August households will be issued with a guide explaining the new service which will include a calendar showing the new collection dates. The Council's Waste Awareness Team will also be out and about talking to people on doorsteps and at a number of events around the area - including the Skye Agricultural Show - and will be able to advise on any concerns surrounding the trial.
Chairman of TEC Services, Councillor John Laing said that the trial was an important next step in the effort to increase recycling rates and that he believes it will be welcomed by most households, especially those who are already conscientiously recycling: "A significant number of residents have approached me to request more recycling bin collections and fewer refuse ones as it is always their blue bin that is full, not their grey or green one. For those not presently recycling, the change will hopefully provide the incentive for them to play their part.
"I wanted the trial to take place in the Skye and Lochalsh area as I have been impressed with the recycling efforts of households and feel sure other areas of the Highlands and beyond can learn from our example. We have a real opportunity to drastically cut the amount of waste ending up in landfill so I hope we can all embrace this trial and see what a difference we can make."
The current recycling rate in The Highland Council area is currently 35% which is a massive improvement on the 2002 level of less than 5% but the target is to increase this to 40% by the end of 2010. The Scottish Government has set a target of 70% of all waste to be recycled by 2025. Similar changes to waste collections have already been adopted by 21 out of 32 Councils in Scotland.