The Council introduced a new refuse collection schedule – keeping recycling uplifts as they are, and moving to a three-weekly schedule for one green (general waste) bin. Your local arrangements for recycling will remain the same including the use of a recycling bag or where food waste and glass are collected.
This is in line with the Council’s aim of achieving the benefits possible through recycling and its need to deliver savings, following a significant reduction in its funding. The Council is also working towards Scottish Government targets for recycling and reducing the amount of waste it sends to landfill.
Recycling saves space for household waste and money for other services that communities have told us are important to them - for every tonne of waste that goes to landfill the Council has to pay tax of over £80 –and figures show that every household in Scotland could save £460 a year by throwing away less food.
There are still a lot of things people put in their green bin which could easily go in the blue bin. By recycling more there will be space in green bins for more non-recyclable materials. A survey of the composition of waste in green bins showed that over 35% of material could be recycled – in one area the figure was over 45%.
To help manage the move to a three weekly green bin collection, and increase recycling, households that use recycling bins can request a second. If you use a recycling bag you can request additional bags. Local arrangements for recycling will remain the same.
Waste can also be taken to any of the Council’s civic amenity sites.
Find out more in our Questions and Answers section
Alternatively you can call our contact centre on 01546 605514 during office hours
What can I recycle and put in my blue bin?
Your blue bin is for mixed dry recyclable material such as:
Paper
- Envelopes
- Paper food packaging
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Yellow Pages
- Brochures
- Catalogues
- Leaflets
- Wrapping paper
Plastic
- Plastic lids
- Food trays
- Hand wash bottles
- Drinks bottles
- Milk bottles
- Shampoo bottles
- Sauce bottles
- Yoghurt pots
Cardboard
- Cereal boxes
- Cardboard packaging
- Brown corrugated boxes
- Toilet roll tubes
- Soup, juice and milk cartons
- Egg boxes
Metal
- Drinks cans
- Food tins
- Empty aerosol cans
- Aluminium
- Metal lids
There are some local variations to what can be recycled. You should check your area on the council website for details.
What can I put in my green general waste bin?
Your general waste bin is for non-recyclable household material. Please don’t put recyclable waste in your green bin.