Garden waste kerbside collections stopping for winter

12th November 2015

With the approach of winter householders are reminded that Garden Waste Collections will cease for a period of 3 months from the end of November. There will be no brown bin collections in December, January or February. The final collection day of 2015 will be Friday 27th November and collections will begin again on Monday 29th February 2016.

Chair of The Highland Councils Community Services Committee, Councillor Allan Henderson, praised householders for the very significant improvement in the quality of the material collected in the brown bins this year. He said: All compostable material collected by us must meet a specific quality standard to ensure its suitable for use. Recent changes to the standard mean that testing for items such as stones and plastic has become more stringent so it is important that we avoid contamination of this kind.

The material collected in the brown bins makes a large contribution to the Council's recycling rate which is 46% for 2014/15. It also saves money as it cuts the amount of waste going to landfill sites. I’m pleased that the garden waste collected by the Council is used as a soil conditioner by farmers in the Moray Firth area and would like to thank householders for the great job they’ve done in using their brown bins for recycling.

Householders are reminded not to use their brown bin for general waste over winter as in previous years there have been contamination issues with the first bins lifted in the following March. Over the winter period householders with garden material to dispose of are encouraged make use of the garden waste skip at their local Recycling Centre. Visit www.highland.gov.uk/recycle to check availability or call 01349 886603.

Home composting is another option householders might like to consider to deal with their garden waste and is an inexpensive, natural process that transforms your kitchen and garden waste into a valuable and nutrient rich food for your garden. By composting your fruit and vegetable peelings, teabags and coffee grinds etc. you can significantly reduce the amount of rubbish that you put in your refuse bin. For information on how to compost at home visit /www.recycleforscotland.com

For more information on the garden waste collection service, and to view your collection dates or download a calendar go to www.highland.gov.uk/recycle