Improvements to waste and recycling collections across Highland – Nairn phase May 2024
The Highland Council is making improvements to waste and recycling collections across Nairn starting in May.
Nairn is the second phase of the Waste and Recycling Service Changes programme which will be introduced across the Highland region over the next year.
Residents in the Nairn area will receive a letter in the post over the next two weeks which will explain what is changing and when.
The letters will explain that green (or grey) bins will be used to recycle mixed plastics, metals and food and drink cartons. Blue bins will be used to recycle paper, card and cardboard only. Each of the recycling bins will be collected every 4 weeks.
Details of how and when residents existing blue and green bins will be changed, will also be provided in the letters.
Around 5,000 properties in Nairn will also be provided with a new weekly food waste recycling service. Silver food waste caddies and caddy liners will be delivered along with the new non-recyclable waste bins.
Households in receipt of the weekly food waste recycling service will be provided with a new 140 litre grey non-recyclable waste bin while all other households will be provided with a new 180 litre grey non-recyclable waste bin. All non-recyclable waste bin collections will remain on a fortnightly basis.
A detailed booklet will be delivered with the new bins explaining the changes and what to put in each bin. A new collection calendar will also be provided with the details of the day the new collection service starts and which bin to put out.
Councillor Graham Mackenzie, Chair of Communities and Place Committee, stated, “I am pleased to see the new waste and recycling services, funded by The Scottish Government continuing to be rolled out across the region to residents in Nairnshire starting in May. This is Phase 2 of a substantial package of changes programmed for waste and recycling services, which started in Ross and Cromarty in April and is on schedule”.
He continued “Residents are urged to look out for their letters and to keep a note of the important dates when the changes will be implemented”.
He continued, “The Highland Council has made a commitment to reduce the amount of non-recyclable waste sent for disposal and increase the amount recycled - these changes will help make it easier for the public to recycle more, helping them to reduce their impact on the environment.”
“Separating the recyclable material collected at the kerbside into two bins is called twin stream recycling and will improve the quality and quantity of recycling, reduce the costs associated with waste disposal, which in turn will help to maintain other vital services”.
The Highland Council has welcomed £6.55 million in funding from the Scottish Government’s Recycling Improvement Fund to implement the changes to waste and recycling collections for communities across the region.
The funding includes the provision of the all-new non-recyclable waste bins to householders along with facilitating the expansion of the food waste collection service to another 30,000 households in the region, further enhancing the recycling services provided by the Council. Modifications to the Portree and Caithness Waste Transfer Stations to help support the changes to the recycling services is also included in the funding award from the Scottish Government.
The Council has also approved capital investment in waste infrastructure with the construction of a new Waste Transfer Station in Fort William, along with a communications and engagement package to support residents with the changes to the recycling services.
The changes to waste and recycling collections will be implemented in a phased approach across the Highland region which started with Ross and Cromarty in April.
Future phases are detailed below:
Inverness May/June 2024
Badenoch & Strathspey – August 2024
Caithness – September 2024
Sutherland – October/November 2024
Skye & Lochalsh – February 2025
Lochaber – April/May 2025
Households are advised that the changes will be implemented according to the refuse and recycling collection routes, therefore not all properties within a town/area will have their bins delivered at the same time. More detailed information will be available for householders on the Councils website including the programme of bin deliveries. www.highland.gov.uk/binchanges
Community Engagement Sessions will be held in Libraries, Leisure Centres, supermarkets and shops providing more information on the changes to waste and recycling collections. The Waste Awareness team will be on hand to answer any questions.
Highland Council Business Waste Customers in Nairn will be contacted over the next few weeks about the twin stream recycling collections for their business.
For more information and tips on how to reduce your waste please visit www.highland.gov.uk/recycle