Views sought on Aberdeenshire waste and recycling changes

Smaller bins and streamlined opening hours at recycling centres are among a raft of measures being proposed by Aberdeenshire Council.

Members of the infrastructure services committee will be asked to agree to a public consultation on a package of steps to help the area hit recycling and waste targets.

Changes to kerbside collections and improvements to centres are among the proposals which could be introduced to try to ensure more of the area’s waste is reused and less is sent to landfill.

Two options for kerbside collections are being proposed, with both meaning a reduction in landfill bin capacity to encourage residents to recycle more. Under the plans, to be considered by the committee on Thursday, a wider variety of materials could be recycled.

The package would mean all centres could accept the same range of materials and would have the same opening hours.

If the consultation goes ahead, the results will be presented to councillors for a final decision in November.

Aberdeenshire Council’s waste manager, Ros Baxter, said the authority wanted to maximise the environmental, community and financial benefits, adding: “Materials previously considered as waste have a value as a resource to be used again and again.

“Local authorities have a role to play by providing effective collection systems and encouraging residents to maximise reuse and recycling of those materials that cannot be avoided in the first place.

“We should be clear that residents will continue to receive a weekly, optimised kerbside collection.”