Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Recycling bins being dumped
North Lanarkshire Council has admitted
that thousands of blue recycling bins are being removed from circulation because too many households aren’t using them properly and too often their contents are contaminated.
The local authority says that there has also been a“decline”in the market even for quality recyclable materials resulting in an increased cost.
More than 5000 blue bins that residents were using to recycle items such as news papers, cardboard, metal cans and plastic bottles are in the process of being removed as the service is “no longer sustainable”.
But those residents who are having them removed are
those who didn’t have room for four recycling bins when the current waste and recycling service was introduced four years ago, and remained on the alternate weekly collection.
Resident Sharon Barrett said:“bins have been disappearing all around North Lanarkshire.
“There’s a letter on North Lanarkshire Council’s page, on the community bit.”
There have also been a number of posts on social media, with residents posting copies of letters they have received from the council about the removal of the bins due to contamination.
A council spokesperson said:“when the council introduced its current household waste and recycling service in 2017, around 5500 properties did not have space for the four bins required.
“As a result, those properties remained on the alternate weekly collection service; blue recycling bin for paper, card, metal and plastic, collected one week and a general waste bin the next.
“Since then, the market for the mix of recyclable materials collected in the blue bin has declined and the cost to dispose of it is now very high, even for high quality materials.“
The Council spokesperson added: “In general, contamination of the materials in the blue bins on the alternate weekly collection routes is so high that it is unfit to be recycled.
“As a result, the council has decided to remove the alternate weekly collections and provide these households with a weekly general waste collection.
“We appreciate that some households have been recycling and want to continue, so we have directed them to other recycling facilities in their local area and will work with local communities on other recycling options.”
The market for the mix of recyclable materials from blue bins has declined and the cost to dispose of it is high
Neena Mahal has been made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Ms Mahal, who has been chair of NHS Lanarkshire since 2013 and a nonexecutive member of the board for eight years prior to that, receives the honour for services to healthcare.
She said:“i am humbled and deeply honoured to receive this recognition.
“It has come as a total surprise and I am grateful to whoever nominated me. I have been enormously proud and privileged to lead NHS Lanarkshire and I want to pay tribute to my colleagues and the staff of NHS Lanarkshire for their achievements, efforts and support.
“I‘d also like to thank my wonderful family for all their encouragement and backing. This wouldn’t have been possible without them.”
Heather Knox, chief executive of NHS
Lanarkshire, added:“on behalf of colleagues at NHS Lanarkshire I would like to congratulate Neena on this richly deserved honour.
“It is recognition of the outstanding contribution she makes not only as chair of NHS Lanarkshire, but through the valued input she has made and continues to make across a wide range of organisations locally and nationally.
“Neena’s commitment to delivering the very best for our population consistently shines through in every meeting and conversation.
Her passion and drive have been at the beating heart of NHS Lanarkshire throughout her time on the Board . We are delighted to see her in the honours list.”
Ms Mahal has made a contribution to the NHS for 17 years, starting as a non-executive board member and then becoming chair of NHS Lanarkshire.
She started her career as a careers guidance adviser and has also worked in the field of promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.
She has considerable experience in corporate governance and strategic management, having served on the boards of various public bodies, charitable and voluntary sector organisations over the last 30 years.
Ms Mahal is due to leave NHS Lanarkshire when her current term as chair concludes at the end of this month.