Stirling Council has launched a new recycling campaign to support the controversial introduction of four-weekly kerbside collections of grey and blue bins.
News last year that the council’s waste transformation programme would see the grey and blue bins collected every four weeks instead of fortnightly was met with an outcry, including an online petition against the changes signed by almost 7,000 people.
The SNP/Labour administration, however, argued it would reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, increase recycling rates and improve service provision.
Tory councillors have argued against the change saying it will increase fly-tipping and claiming that neighbouring Falkirk Council has seen no increase in recycling since it introduced a four-weekly cycle.
Now Stirling Council has launched its ‘Recycle 4 Stirling’ campaign, with the councillor with the remit for waste services saying it’s time for residents to “break the habit” of how they dispose of waste.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of the environmental and financial impacts of landfilling household waste, and provide recycling information for residents ahead of the shift from fortnightly to four-weekly collections of the grey and blue bins this September.
Environment and housing convener Councillor Jim Thomson said: “Recycle 4 Stirling explains the need for a new collection frequency and gives our residents information to help them recycle their waste.
“Right now, the average grey bin is more than half full with recyclable materials, but it’s currently all going to landfill.
“Many blue bins are also presented under capacity on the current schedule, while some residents don’t present them at all, so the change to a four-weekly cycle will allow the council to collect more recycling at a more appropriate frequency.
“When you consider that the council also pays £96.70 per tonne of household waste in landfill tax – which in recent years has cost Stirling nearly £2million per annum – the current state of play is both terrible for the environment and incurring substantial avoidable costs.
“It’s time for our residents to break the habit of how they dispose of waste, and moving to a four-weekly collection cycle for grey and blue bins is a major part of that.”
The council says the four-weekly collection cycle, approved in June 2020, aligns the authority with the Charter for Household Recycling and associated Code of Practice in Scotland, which encourages better recycling through a number of means, including a reduction in the collection frequency of general waste.
Food waste will still be collected for free, every two weeks, through the brown bin/caddy.
In targeted letter and leaflet drops in July and September, every household in the council area except the city centre and some flatted properties will receive an information pack featuring helpful hints and tips on how to recycle properly, and make the most of the kerbside recycling services on offer.
Officers from the Waste Service will also meet local community groups, while social media activity and a new landing page on the council’s website aim to support this major push to increase recycling.
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Environment and housing vice convener Councillor Danny Gibson said: “Scotland needs to reach a recycling rate of 70 per cent by 2025, and right now in Stirling we only recycle around 55 per cent.
“That time will fly by, meanwhile costs for landfill are increasing and a new ban on biodegradable waste to landfill is only going to add to that financial burden on our budget.
“By speaking directly to our residents, Recycle 4 Stirling will help us work together to protect the planet by helping people put less waste to landfill and limit the avoidable financial costs the council is facing.”
For more information, visit www.stirling.gov.uk/Recycle4Stirling
