New Contract For Highland's Mixed Plastic And Metal Containers Recycling Services

2nd October 2024

Photograph of New Contract For Highland's Mixed Plastic And Metal Containers Recycling Services

A new contract has been awarded to Perthshire's Wyllie Recycling Ltd for the provision of mixed plastic and metal container recycling services and haulage in Highland. This includes plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays, metals tins, drink cans, aerosols and food and drink cartons which are collected in the new green recycling bins.

The Council has procured Wyllie’s services for a contract period of up to 5 years with approximately 5,600 tonnes of mixed plastic and metal containers projected to be sent for recycling from the region annually.

Wyllie Recycling Ltd, a Scottish family-owned business, will provide a unique end-to-end recycling service for the Council. This means Wyllie’s will collect the mixed plastic and metal containers from Council Waste Transfer Stations in Invergordon, Inverness, Caithness, Portree and Lochaber.

The material will then be transported to their Materials Recovery Facility in Perth which is specifically designed to sort and separate the mixed plastic and metal containers into various material streams.

The separated materials such as Aluminium, steel and HDPE plastic and PET plastic are baled and then transported to UK manufacturers and made into new containers. The clear HDPE plastic is used to make new milk bottles and clear PET plastic is used to make new water bottles, all within the UK.

Cllr Graham MacKenzie, Chair of the Communities and Place Committee for The Highland Council said: "Wyllie Recycling Limited’s impressive end-to-end recycling service will provide reassurance to our residents and Business Waste Collection customers that their efforts in recycling are absolutely worthwhile and that the items they separate for recycling are being recycled here within the UK.

“The programme to implement the new twin stream recycling in Highland is going very well with over 80,000 households now using the new waste and recycling service in the region."

Households can now separate their recycling into two bins - paper/card into the blue bin and mixed plastic and metal containers into the green bin. This new system significantly helps to improve the quality and quantity of the material that is sent for recycling from Highland.

Cllr MacKenzie continued: “Initial feedback from Wyllie’s is the quality of the material sent to them from the Highlands so far is good. This is really positive and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public for their time and effort with the new recycling services.”

John Gilmour, Commerical Manager from Wyllie Recycling said: “Wyllie Recycling are delighted to have been awarded this significant contract by The Highland Council. This is a huge achievement and testament to the hard work of all our team. This decision reinforces our position as Scotland’s leading recycling company for mixed plastic and metal containers and our distinctive fleet can now be seen across the Highland region, promoting the Council’s clean recycling message."

As a public reminder, the Council cannot accept any plastic film and soft plastics in the recycling bins. For more information and tips on how to reduce your waste, please visit www.highland.gov.uk/recycle.

 

Related Businesses

 

Related Articles

Today : Local Authority

Launch of New Transport Service for Renal Patients in Highland

NHS Highland and The Highland Council are pleased to announce the launch of a new bespoke year-round transport service for renal haemodialysis patients across Highland.   Funded through a grant from NHS Highland, the service marks the first phase of a new approach to patient transport delivery, designed to support the long-term development of a more sustainable, flexible and community-focused transport model for Highland.  

Today : Local Authority

Economy and Infrastructure Committee to consider next steps on proposed Short Term Let Control Areas

Members of The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee will meet next Monday (28 September 2026) to consider whether to progress proposals for new Short Term Let Control Areas across parts of Highland.   At the special meeting, councillors will be asked to consider the findings of a public consultation on proposed control areas covering Inverness City and a wider Highland Rural area, before deciding whether the proposals should be submitted to Scottish Ministers for approval.  

Yesterday : Local Authority

Scotland's Local Government Reform: More Local Power or Mainly a Search for Savings?

The Scottish Government is proposing a major reshaping of local government, with fewer regional authorities and many more community-level bodies making decisions closer to where people live.   The language is about local democracy, stronger communities and bringing decisions closer to people.  

Yesterday : Local Authority

Local Government Set For Huge Changes

Initial proposals designed to deliver fundamental reform of local governance have been set out to help shape the debate on improving public services.   The possible changes, if implemented, could help achieve a better balance of decision-making powers across the public sector to ensure investment is focused on delivering improved services.  

21/9/2026 : Local Authority

Council Tax Reform: Just How Many Scots Took Part in the Debate?

Council tax is one of those bills that most households know only too well.   It arrives every month or in a series of instalments, and it helps pay for services ranging from rubbish collection and roads to schools, social care and other council services.  

19/9/2026 : Local Authority

Why Scotland Is Reorganising Public Services – And Why Highland Could Feel the Impact More Than Most

Something important is happening in Scotland's public services, and it goes considerably further than another round of annual budget cuts.   The Scottish Government is now talking about changing the way public services themselves are organised.  

18/9/2026 : Local Authority

Highland Council's £2.1 Billion Investment Plan: Could Higher Interest Rates Put the Squeeze on Future Budgets?

Highland Council is planning to spend around £2.1 billion over 20 years on schools, roads, housing, community facilities and other infrastructure.   It is an ambitious programme, and one which could bring considerable benefits across the Highlands.  

17/9/2026 : Local Authority

New Industry Connect Highland programme to strengthen links between schools and employers

Secondary schools and employers across the Highlands are coming together through a new partnership programme designed to connect classroom learning with future career opportunities and help develop the Highlands future workforce.   Industry Connect Highland, developed through My Highland Future and Workforce North, will run throughout the 2026/27 academic year with an initial focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).  

15/9/2026 : Local Authority

Help Shape Highland's Future: Call for Ideas Extended Until November

Communities, businesses and residents are being given extra time to share ideas that will influence future development and land use across Highland.   The Highland Council has an open Call for Ideas survey, which is inviting people to share ideas on future development and long-term land use in Highland.  

12/9/2026 : Local Authority

Caithness This Week A Region Facing Big Decisions on Energy, Money and Its Future

Caithness has had a busy week, although the individual stories might not initially appear to have much in common.   Look a little more closely, however, and a pattern begins to emerge.