A bid will be made to the Scottish Government for help in taking recycling to the next level in Dumfries and Galloway.
Councillors agreed on Tuesday to request cash from the Recycling Improvement Fund to introduce a garden waste kerbside pick-up scheme for the region.
Money is also being sought from the same fund to make improvements to the area’s household waste recycling centres where there are little or no revenue implications, including extensions to the Thornhill and Lockerbie sites.
Plans will also be developed and brought forward to the council’s communities committee for a new household waste recycling centre for Langholm, along with the creation of a reuse facility for Dumfries Zero Waste Park.
Communities committee chairman, Councillor Andy Ferguson, praised council infrastructure manager James McLeod and the waste services department for their work over the last 18 months.
He said: “The team are extremely good at reacting when mistakes have been made, or when things have been missed, and I really think that should be applauded because the number of those have been really quite small.
“When they have been brought to attention, your service has reacted very positively and very quickly. Pass on the thanks to the whole team.”
Twenty-six of Scotland’s 32 councils offer a garden waste collection service, and Dumfries and Galloway is one of the few that hasn’t got on board yet.
Following a survey carried out by the waste services team this summer about the possibility of a garden waste service, 92 percent of respondents wanted to receive a collection of garden waste from their property.
The matter was also discussed at last week’s waste collection, treatment and disposal sub-committee where it was explained that having a garden wheelie bin would be an opt-in service, and there would likely be an annual charge of around £35.
Officers were asked about the size of the bins and how much garden waste could be taken away with each uplift.
James McLeod said: “The principle design of the scheme would be around a 240-litre wheelie bin. That’s pretty standard across the country.
“There would be the opportunity – if you had a particularly large garden – to double subscribe to the service.
“So, instead of paying £35 a year, you would pay £70 a year and get two wheelie bins as an example.
“But that level of detail is something that can be picked up in due course.”
Council officers will now put together a business case within the next two or three weeks that will be presented to Zero Waste Scotland and the Scottish Government.
An offer of funding is then expected to come back and councillors would then decide on whether or not it is sufficient for purchasing enough vehicles and bins.
