Recycle your compost bags

Residents in Carluke can now recycle their compost bags thanks to a new initiative launched in the town.

Dobbies set up the scheme to allow local gardeners to dispose of their packaging in a sustainable way.

The recycled material will then be used to help make garden furniture which will be donated to a charity that creates green spaces for terminally ill children.

Compost packaging is typically difficult for people to recycle as very few local authorities collect polythene sacks as part of bin collections or at recycling centres.

Dobbies carried out research showing that 40 per cent of gardeners in Scotland want to recycle more of their garden waste products and 32 per cent of people are more likely to shop at a garden centre that is sustainably focused.

The store in Sandyholm now allows this facility on site.

Marcus Eyles, horticultural director at Dobbies, said: “With this scheme, anyone can bring in any compost packaging to Dobbies Sandyholm, no matter what brand or where it was purchased, and return it to one of the recycling bins.

“We wanted to ensure gardeners across

Sandyholm had the opportunity to dispose of their compost packaging in a sustainable way.”

Dobbies is working with partners Evergreen Garden Care, to create garden furniture from the recycled material.

This will be donated to Greenfingers, a charity that creates green spaces for terminally ill children.

Jane Hartley, sustainability marketing manager, Evergreen Garden Care, added: “We are delighted to be working in collaboration with Dobbies, rolling out the compost bag scheme across all mainline stores, including Sandyholm.

“We had a trial with 10 stores to develop a collection programme that will work across all stores. We hope residents in Sandyholm make the most of this scheme.”

The compost bag recycling scheme follows other environmental initiatives, including a partnership with sustainable plant pot designer, elho.

This has seen plastic pot recycling bins placed in 69 of Dobbies garden centres, including Sandyholm.

This will help reduce unnecessary plastic waste in the garden and prevent further plastic waste ending up in landfill.