More than 20,000 bins are ready to be rolled out across Aberdeenshire next month, as the council prepares to officially start its new three-bin, three-week collection system.
The council will this year be introducing an additional third bin to households, as part of a £4 million plan to increase recycling rates — and save cash at the same time.
Once fully in place, more than 120,000 homes in Aberdeenshire will have to get used to the new kerbside waste pick-up rules.
The first stock of more than 20,000 bins will be delivered to homes next month, and the remaining bins will be sent out as the year progresses.
How will the new Aberdeenshire three-bin system work?
Aberdeenshire residents will be getting a new, orange-lidded bin in addition to their two existing bins.
Instead of picking up people’s waste on a two-week cycle, with one bin each week, the new rules will have people’s waste collected on a three-week cycle.
Here’s how the new cycle will work, and what will be picked up when:
- Week One: Black-lidded, 240-litre non-recyclable bin, for all rubbish that you can’t recycle.
- Week Two: Blue-lidded, 240-litre recycling bin, for paper, card and cardboard only.
- Week Three: New, orange-lidded, 180-litre bin. This will be for tins, cans, foil, aerosols, and food and drink cartons. It will also be for plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays.
Food waste caddies will continue to be picked up every week.
When will these Aberdeenshire bin changes be starting where YOU live?
Aberdeenshire Council has not yet confirmed where the initial 20,000 bins will be introduced in this first phase of the roll-out of their new system.
The local authority said the “sequence of areas for the full roll-out of the new collection cycle is still being finalised”.
However, those who will be part of this first phase will start getting their new, orange-lidded bins in April.
The council said: “Aberdeenshire residents should be on the lookout for a teaser postcard direct to their homes indicating that the new service will soon roll out to their area.
“A letter and service booklet will follow, with all the information residents need about when and how to use the three-weekly collection cycle.”
Controversy over space and confusion
Following the announcement and confirmation of the three-weekly bin changes, Aberdeenshire Council received plenty of criticism.
Some argued the new cycle would be too complicated and confusing for some residents to utilise properly.
Others raised worries about where households will find the space for a third bin.
And some members of the council’s own bin crews even warned it would be an “absolute disaster”.
Our reader’s poll in January last year found that 84% of the 755 people who participated did not support the bins overhaul.
Aberdeenshire Council’s waste service, however, is confident it will work, and has said it will be making certain allowances.
The council said: “Mindful that not everybody can accommodate an extra bin, the council will be working with communities to provide suitable alternatives, such as smaller or shared bins or bag collections.
“Equally, those who are excellent recyclers and have the space can request additional recycling bins for free if they need more capacity.
“Large families, those with medical needs, or with two or more babies in nappies can apply for additional refuse capacity as long as they can demonstrate a thorough use of the recycling services available to them, including the food waste caddy.”
‘We are confident that residents across Aberdeenshire appreciate the need to recycle more’
Aberdeenshire Council says that 66% of what households currently send to landfill in the region can in fact be recycled.
By reducing the frequency in which people can actually empty their for-landfill bin, the council aims to drastically cut this number.
The council also previously calculated that the three-bin plan will cut the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent of 366 cars a year.
And by having residents separate out different kinds of recycling, the local authority estimates it could save up to £765,000 every year.
Isobel Davidson, vice-chairwoman of the council’s infrastructure committee, said: “Like any change to collections, it will require some level of practice and adjustment to the new system.
“We are confident that residents across Aberdeenshire appreciate the need to recycle more and the many benefits that come from that, such as conserving energy, reducing pollution, and responsibly using the things we buy — and the materials they are made from — to their fullest potential.”
The council has made a new A to Z list of what rubbish goes where under the new system, including information on the new orange-lidded bins.
You can click here to read it.
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