New bins will help boost recycling
Trolley and box system easier to use
Households across Cumnock, Muirkirk, Mauchline, Patna and Dalmellington will be asked to change the way they recycle and store waste with the introduction of new bins.
Coming into play next April, residents will now be asked to fill an “innovative recycling trolley” – the first of its kind in Scotland.
The trolley will replace the blue bin, allowing residents to compartmentalise waste into paper, card, glass, cans and household plastics. These will all be stacked in black boxes and wheeled to the pavement together.
Letters will be sent out to residents advising of the changes at the end of October, with the new bins coming into play next year.
East Ayrshire Council leader Douglas Reid said: “East Ayrshire will be the first authority in Scotland to introduce an innovative recycling trolley which will allow ‘ waste management services’ to roll out a new weekly collection service. “I am confident our residents will benefit from the new weekly recycling collection and the new system will stop waste being sent to landfill.” Roll out of the innovative recycling trolley was made possible thanks to funding of more than £ 2million from Zero Waste Scotland. It is hoped residents will find the new trolley “convenient, easy to use and easy to store”. Homeowners will receive the new bins in April. Meanwhile the local authority has been praised for its efforts in improving the level of recycling of household waste across the area. A report published by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency ( SEPA) last week showed East Ayrshire to be well above the national average, recycling 53.3 per cent of household waste.
The national average was 45.2 per cent national average. However, the council is still moving 36.2 per cent of household waste to landfill, with 10.5 per cent of waste otherwise disposed of.
Councillor Reid added: “Over the past six years we have developed a recycling and waste collection strategy focused on providing our communities with a full range of kerbside recycling.
“We have seen a huge change in public attitudes, with our residents really getting behind the recycling service.
“The demand for recycling from home has increased significantly and with this in mind we are going to be making further improvements in the coming months.”
For more information on the changes to household waste management, call 01563 554 033 or email waste@ east- ayrshire. gov. uk