On the 19 October, Angus Council will be asked to approve proposed changes to kerbside recycling services that aims to save £0.5m per year and sustain Angus’ position as one of the top performing councils in Scotland for recycling.
The initial outlay for the new service will be covered by external funding and will help Angus comply with future legislative changes, contribute towards the Council’s Transition to Net Zero Action Plan: 2022 to 2030 and make our recycling services more consistent with our neighbouring councils.
The new service asks residents to separate their recycling more at the kerbside, with a new blue bin being provided for paper and cardboard, and the grey bin remaining for containers and cans. These bins will be emptied every four weeks on the same day of the week two weeks apart, so no change to the overall number of bin collections or capacity for recycling.
The general purple bin (non-recyclable) remains for general waste and is collected in the same way every two weeks. However, purple bins containing unacceptable amounts of recyclable material will be left to allow recyclables to be removed and appropriately recycled.
By asking householders to sort more at the kerbside, the cost of processing our waste and recycling can be significantly reduced. Recyclables wrongly going in the purple bin alone is estimated to cost Angus residents over £1 million per year.
In line with neighbouring councils, glass will be required to be deposited a Neighbourhood Recycling Points, which will increase from 23 to around 190. The location of these will be selected for ease of residents, such as supermarkets, shopping centres etc., places where residents first bought the full glass container initially. For residents with personal difficulties accessing glass recycling, our recycling team will be available to discuss and provide advice.
In addition, the current food waste service will be extended to an additional 3900 households, meaning less food waste going into the non-recyclable waste bin.
Part of the funding for the changes will be used to provide street furniture to house additional bins in our towns to ensure that clear access remains, with officer time to plan and deploy these in the best areas.
Council Leader Cllr Beth Whiteside, “As consumers, we have a duty to dispose of our household waste correctly. The new proposed changes aim to help Angus Council do that for you as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible, while continuing to support our zero-carbon ambitions.
“Many respondents of the Kerbside Recycling Service Survey which ran in November and December 2022, were willing to support changes to how they recycle at home, if it meant saving substantial amounts of money that could be used to protect other vital council services.
“The way that we currently collect recyclables mixed in a single bin is rare in Scotland due to the expense and limited options for processing. By bringing us closer in line with other councils’ collection systems we can access a more competitive market for where we can send our recycling for sorting and deliver significant savings.
“I recognise that not everyone will welcome the changes however they will ensure we can continue to deliver reliable and efficient kerbside recycling services.”
The Special Angus Council meeting is at 2pm on 19 October 2023 and can be followed live on Angus Council YouTube channel.