Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Recycling bin changes leave pensioner blue
Thousands of households across the city are now having to deposit glass waste at designated bring sites instead of in household burgundy bins.
Meanwhile blue bins, previously used to deposit paper, cardboard, cans and plastic, have switched to paper and cardboard only – with the rest going in the burgundy bin.
The changes are part of the final phase of the city council’s recycling programme, first agreed in 2015, and affect Broughty Ferry, Dryburgh, Gowrie Park, Charleston, Menzieshill, the West End and parts of Lochee. Dundee City Council held several drop-in sessions last month to ensure communities had an opportunity to discuss the changes.
But Les Joiner, 73, described the information provided by the council as a “grey area” that has left him with overflowing bins that might not be collected until May.
Les now has two blue bins full of cardboard, aluminium and plastic that he expected to be lifted this week under the previous regime, with a collection anticipated for tomorrow.
He said: “I was aware there were changes afoot. It was my understanding on reading the information that tenants were to carry on as normal prior to the changes being unveiled.
“We now have two full bins that we were anticipating to be collected tomorrow using the old method that picked them up fortnightly.
“I contacted Dundee City Council and they advised I wasn’t the only one that had raised this issue regarding the blue bins.
“I was expecting there was going to be a transitional period and the last collection was earmarked for tomorrow using the old format.
“I assumed they might have anticipated teething problems and that would have been the final one before I reverted to using the burgundy bin for cans and plastics.
“It will now be the case that this waste won’t be collected until May 2.
“I will assume they won’t accept the waste in its current format despite the fact I was adhering to the instructions of carrying on with the normal method until the changes came into effect.
“Initially I thought it was something I had done in error.
‘‘It would appear I’m not the only one that has been affected by this and there is a bit of a grey area over the blue bin changes.”
A Dundee City Council spokeswoman said: “As phase 1 and phase 2 of the new recycling service commences in Broughty Ferry, Dryburgh, Gowrie Park, parts of Lochee, Charleston, Menzieshill and the West End, a short term discretionary period will be in place.”
A DUNDEE pensioner has been left feeling blue following changes to bin collections in Menzieshill.