Highland bins are a third-full of recycling

Waste Composition Analysis shows that more than a third of the waste could be recycled or composted at home.

By Louise Glen

May 23 2023, 5:09 pm

Highland Council is asking people to think before they throw waste into the bin. Image: Highland Council.

Did you know that at least a third of the things people in their waste bins – could in fact, go into a recycling bin?

Highland Council paid for a waste composition analysis to find out that 36% of things we put in the bins for landfill, could be repurposed.

In a bid to reduce the amount of waste Highland Council sends to landfill, it is asking people in the region to think twice.

25% of rubbish is food that could have been eaten

The analysis was funded by Zero Waste Scotland as part of a national analysis of the waste in household bins across Scotland.

On top of the 36% that could be recycled or composted at home, an additional 25% was food and drink in its packaging or in unopened containers, the majority of which could have been consumed.

Waste Composition Analysis. Image: Highland Council.

The waste composition analysis was carried out in November 2022 using a sample of households in Contin, Evanton, Dingwall, Inverness and Strathpeffer.

Chairman of Highland Council’s communities and place committee, Graham Mackenzie said: “When we throw food away, it rots and releases methane, a greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

“Methane gas has 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide, a major contributor to the climate crisis.

“Getting as much recycling out of the refuse bin is the next important step as we all work towards a more sustainable waste solution and the funding from the Scottish Government’s Recycling Improvement Fund will certainly help us achieve this when the new refuse and recycling collections are introduced next year.”

The analysis also showed that on average refuse bins also contain glass bottles and jars , garden waste and metal, all of which are widely recycled.

Only 37% of rubbish is recycled

2% of the waste was plastic pots, tubs, and trays – things that can go in the recycling bin when they are clean after a quick wash and dry.

Inverness residents also have a free, weekly, kerbside food waste collection service.

The council collects around 57,000 tonnes of refuse and around 15,000 tonnes of recycling from households through kerbside collections each year.

The recycling rate for Highland is 37%. This includes recycling from the kerbside and Household Waste Recycling Centres.

The council is set to reveal full details of the planned changes to waste and recycling collections which will be introduced in phases from April 2024.