How the Council handles your waste is shaped by government policy and legislation, mainly the recent ban on biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill. Basically, what this means is that in most instances, your black bag, general waste can’t be landfilled.
Most of Argyll and Bute
Residual (black bag) waste stopped being sent to landfill in January 2026. Since then, the waste has been bulked up at a local waste transfer station. The main larger hub waste transfer stations are in:
- Lochgilphead (Lingerton)
- Oban (Moleigh)
- Dunoon (Dalinlongart)
From there, the bulk waste is taken to waste processing facilities near Glasgow where some materials that can be extracted from the general waste for recycling e.g. metals, are removed if possible and the remaining waste material is shredded, baled and wrapped as refuse derived fuel (RDF) so it can be taken to a suitable Energy from Waste (EfW) plant.
The destination of the material for RDF is managed by the processing facility through the treatment supply chain. It could be sent to an EfW plant in the UK or to one in Europe. This is mainly because there is not enough capacity in Scotland at the moment. However, two new plants are being constructed in Scotland – in Glasgow and in Irvine – which will help in the future.
A worker checks the RDF stock on a conveyor line
General waste from Helensburgh and Lomond is taken directly by council vehicles to RDF waste processing contractors’ facilities near Glasgow.
RDF material stock.
However, geographic challenges mean that not all areas of Argyll and Bute have moved to handling waste in this way at this time.
Mull, Islay, Jura, Iona and Colonsay
The landfill sites at Gartbreck, on Islay, and Glengorm, on Mull, have been granted a temporary derogation by SEPA and so we will continue to landfill at these sites in the short to medium term. These derogations recognise the challenges associated with island waste management and provide time for longer-term solutions to be developed. The Council intends to continue working with SEPA and the Scottish Government to secure sustainable arrangements for these communities.
General waste disposal for Colonsay is seasonal. During the summer ferry timetable, its general waste is landfilled on Islay, but in the winter, it is taken to the waste transfer station in Oban.
