New Kerbside Recycling Collections for Rural Areas in Caithness

10th October 2008

The Highland Council has invested in a new vehicle and crew to expand the recycling routes in the far north. Caithness will be the first area in the Highlands to receive the Council's new kerbside recycling collection for rural areas.

Householders in Caithness who are not already part of the blue box scheme will shortly be receiving a blue lidded wheelie bin for their recycling. The bin, which will be collected every 4 weeks, is for mixed recyclable material - paper, cardboard, food and drink cans and plastic bottles.

Householders on the new routes should look out for a leaflet coming through their door describing how the new collection system will work. The Council's Waste Awareness team will also be in the area talking to residents on doorsteps, outside supermarkets and going into schools to talk to pupils.

The new bins will start to be delivered at the end of October and the collections will begin at the beginning of December, just in time to help householders deal with all that extra waste generated over the festive season.

Thanks to the efforts of people across the whole Highlands our recycling rate is currently just under 32%, and it is expected that this new scheme will help drive this figure towards a new high.

Chairman of The Highland Council's TEC Services Committee, Councillor John Laing said: "The extended recycling provision would be a big bonus to householders and will help to cut down the number of trips that need to be made to Recycling Centres and Points. However, it is equally important that efforts are still made to reduce the amount of waste we create in the first place and that every opportunity should be taken to reuse anything we have no further use for. The existing network of charity shops throughout Highland is an ideal route to ensure someone benefits from the things we no longer need."

The blue box scheme already currently operating in many areas of Caithness will remain unaffected.