If you bring waste in bags or containers to Forfar recycling centre, we will now ask you to open them and remove any items that could be recycled.
To help you, we have a sorting station set up. You will need to sort your own waste, but recycling centre staff are available to offer advice. Or you can leave and sort your waste at home before your return.
We recommend separating all items that can be recycled before visiting the recycling centre.
Why we are doing this
Analysis of non-recyclable waste skips from recycling centres shows that 41% of items, including materials from black bags, could have been recycled. This includes clothing, textiles, small electrical appliances and items that can be collected from home recycling bins such as food waste, paper and cans.
It costs significantly more to dispose of non-recyclable waste. So recycling more will save money on disposal costs. Reducing this cost allows money to be redirected to vital front-line services such as social care and schools.
While the sorting station is new, we have for some years now been asking visitors to put the Right stuff in the Right skip.
All the recycling centres in Wales and some in England require visitors to sort their recyclables out so that no recyclable waste goes in the non-recyclable waste skip. Based on their experience, it is estimated that this initiative could increase the recycling rate of the site by as much as 10%.
Angus has been one of the best-performing council areas in Scotland for recycling for some time. This could help us do even better.
About this initiative
This project is supported by Zero Waste Scotland.
To find out more about what items can be recycled, visit our pages on What to do with…