Published on:
18
May 2023
The Council has agreed to implement changes to its household waste and recycling collection service as it journeys towards net zero.
At its meeting today (Thursday) Councillors heard that the Council has been awarded £583,890 from Zero Waste Scotland’s Recycling Improvement Fund to support changes to the service that reduce carbon emissions and will increase the efficiency of recycling in Clackmannanshire.
The changes will come into force in October and will see a new grey wheeled bin introduced for the collection of dry paper and card for recycling.
The existing blue bin will be retained for the collection of metal cans, plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays and cartons and both bins will be collected every four weeks.
The existing green bin for non–recyclable waste will also be uplifted every four weeks.
The food waste bin will continue to be collected weekly and we encourage residents to make full use of this weekly service. There will be no change to the garden waste service.
The Council’s existing fleet of waste and recycling collection lorries will not need to be changed, the plan can be implemented quickly, it fits in with neighbouring local authorities’ operations and could save money in the longer term which will be put towards other Council services.
Last year, the Council declared a climate emergency and agreed that climate change is one of the most serious challenges facing communities locally and across the world.
Clackmannanshire already has an above average recycling rate for Councils in Scotland so the changes to the service will build on this success and it is hoped that recycling will increase in the area by 10%.
Spokesperson for Environment and Net Zero, Councillor Fiona Law said: “The Zero Waste Scotland funding will allow us to increase our recycling efforts and help towards future-proofing our service ahead of impending national policy changes.
“I’d like to thank residents for their efforts in already achieving a recycling rate of 50%, however I know that we can all help to improve on this. Our residents care about Clackmannanshire and our environment, so we are looking forward to working with them to bring them a more efficient and environmentally friendly service which will increase our recycling figures and reduce our waste. This is another positive step on our journey to net zero Clackmannanshire.”
Separating paper, card and cardboard from the other types of recyclables will keep it clean and dry, decreasing the amount of recycling that gets contaminated and maximises recycling efficiency.
It will also play a vital role in continuing to significantly reduce our carbon emissions as we strive towards reaching net zero by 2040.