New contract for mixed paper and card recycling services for Highland

26th November 2024

The Highland Council is pleased to announce a new contract has been awarded to Smurfit Westrock, a global leader in sustainable paper and packaging, for the Provision of Mixed Paper & Cardboard Treatment Services with Haulage (from the Highland Council area).

The contract which covers a period of up to 6 years will see approximately 11,500 tonnes of mixed paper and card transported from Highland Council Waste Transfer Stations to Smurfit Westrock's Glasgow recycling facility annually.

The mixed paper and card will be graded and baled at the Glasgow facility, to ensure the best quality feedstock for the paper making process. The baled material will then be transported to Smurfit Westrock’s two recycling paper mills within the UK for processing into brown paper reels - these are then distributed to their 32 packaging plants and manufactured into new high quality consumer packaging products.

Chair of the Communities and Place Committee, Councillor Graham MacKenzie, stated "I am delighted that Highland Council has awarded a new contract to Smurfit Westrock to collect and recycle the paper, card and cardboard from the region".

“Securing this contract, is another important milestone for Highland Council, helping to ensure we have long term and robust end markets for the material the public separate for recycling.”

He continued “Keeping the paper and card, dry and free of moisture is very important to the quality of the material and by separating the recycling collected at the kerbside into two bins - paper/card into the blue bin and mixed plastic and metal containers into the green bin, this significantly helps to improve the quality and boost recycling rates.”

“Initial feedback from Smurfit Westrock on the quality of the paper and card from Highland is positive and that the quality of the material is good. This is really reassuring, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public for their time and effort with the new recycling services”.

“We are delighted to be working with The Highland Council collecting paper and card that can be used as quality feedstock for our UK-based paper mills and look forward to the completion of the rollout.” Said Lucy Russell, Managing Director, Smurfit Westrock Recycling UK.

Paper, card and cardboard including all cardboard packaging, newspapers, envelopes, shredded paper and catalogues can all be recycled in blue recycling bins and at Household Waste Recycling Centres. We cannot accept dirty pizza boxes, blue roll, tissues or takeaway cups for recycling – these should be disposed of in non-recyclable waste bins. Please see visit www.highland.gov.uk/recycle for a list of what items to place in your recycling bins.

The roll out of the new waste and recycling collection service is progressing well with the distribution of the new non-recyclable waste bins to households in Sutherland complete. Deliveries in Caithness have now commenced and are expected to be complete at the beginning of December. Skye and Lochalsh deliveries are scheduled to start in February 2025 and Lochaber roll out will start during the summer 2025.

For more information and tips on how to reduce your waste please visit www.highland.gov.uk/recycle

 

Related Businesses

 

Related Articles

30/9/2026 : Local Authority

Scottish Cities Alliance Investment Conference to showcase Highland opportunities

Inverness will welcome government representatives, investors, business leaders and economic development partners later this week as it hosts the Scottish Cities Alliance Autumn Investor Event.  A two-day programme designed to showcase investment opportunities across Inverness, the Highlands and Scotland's city regions.  

Today : Local Authority

Are We Trying to Save Britain’s Towns Without Planning Their Future?

Walk through almost any British town centre and you can see the evidence of change.   There are empty shops where there were once businesses.  

Yesterday : Local Authority

Highland Council Ward 3 By-election - Voters urged to make sure their vote counts

Polling will take place on Thursday 1 October 2026 to elect one of five candidates standing in The Highland Council's Wick and East Caithness Ward 3 by-election.  Voters are being reminded to make sure they are ready to cast their vote.  

26/9/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

September is Scottish Start-Up Month – could your business idea become a reality?

September has become a month when Scotland's aspiring entrepreneurs are being encouraged to take a closer look at an idea that may have been sitting in the back of their minds for some time.   Scottish Start-Up Month, led by Business Gateway, has returned for 2026 with a simple message: if you have an idea for a business, this could be the month to take the first step.  

25/9/2026 : Educational Institutions

Fewer Children, More Difficult Decisions: The Future of Highland's Schools

For many years Highland Council has faced difficult decisions over small rural schools.   Some have closed, others have been mothballed, and communities have often argued that a village school is about much more than the number of children sitting in its classrooms.  

25/9/2026 : Local Authority

Glasgow’s 23,000 Council Workers Face a Major Pay Shake-Up

Glasgow City Council has taken a dramatic step in its long-running equal-pay dispute, giving notice that it intends to end existing pay arrangements for its non-teaching workforce unless an agreement can be reached with the trade unions.   Around 23,000 employees are affected.  

25/9/2026 : Employment Services

What Are the Options for Scottish Pupils Who Do Not Want the Traditional Academic Route?

Parents of teenagers in England are being told that they will need to understand a new range of vocational qualifications as their children approach the age of 14.   The Career Development Institute has welcomed the introduction of new Vocational GCSEs, which are due to start being introduced in England from 2029.  

24/9/2026 : Local Authority

The £27 Million Energy Bill Facing Highland Council – And NHS Highland's Hidden Cost

Rising energy prices are a problem for households and businesses, but there is another very large energy bill that receives much less attention.   Highland Council operates one of the largest public-sector property estates in Scotland, while NHS Highland runs hospitals, health centres, clinics and other facilities across an enormous geographical area.  

24/9/2026 : Local Authority

Public invited to Justice Service open days in Fort William and Wick

The Highland Council’s Justice Social Work teams in Lochaber and Caithness will be hosting open days in Fort William on Tuesday 6 October and Wick on Friday 9 October 2026.   The open days will provide members of the public with an opportunity to gain an insight into the Justice Service and find out more about the excellent work going on locally.  

23/9/2026 : 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.