Paper and Can Banks to be removed from Recycling Points

25th January 2015

Paper and can banks are to be phased out of The Highland Council's network of Recycling Points during February and March. The decision was taken at a meeting of The Highland Council on the 18th December, at which the budget for 2015/16 and the indicative budget for the following 3 years was agreed, a package of savings totaling £42.8 million. All existing glass and textile recycling banks will remain in place. Facilities for recycling paper, food tins and drink cans, cardboard and plastic bottles will also be retained at the Council’s network of Recycling Centres.

Councillor Graham Mackenzie, Chairperson of Community Services Committee commented: "Since we introduced the kerbside blue bin recycling collections for all households there has been a huge drop in the use of the paper and can banks at the recycling points and the tonnage collected from them has declined over that time which has brought into question both their economic and environmental sustainability."

He went on to add: “The Council are exploring the possibility of increasing the range of materials that can be recycled in the blue bins as a more cost effective means of increasing our recycling rate. Meanwhile I would urge all residents to make maximum use of their blue bins to recycle all their paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, food tins and drink cans and to use the network of Recycling Points to recycle all their glass bottles and jars; glass is a very heavy material and every tonne that ends up in landfill costs Council tax payers £80 in landfill taxes alone.”

The Council’s business waste customers who use Recycling Points to recycle their business waste instead of the blue bin service will also be notified of the changes, although these customers will still be able to use the facilities at Recycling Centres. Since 1st January 2014 all businesses are legally required to segregate paper, cardboard, tin cans and plastic bottles - and glass – for recycling.

For further information about recycling in The Highland Council area visit: www.highland.gov.uk , email recycle[AT]highland.gov.uk or call 01349 886603.