Laurencekirk, Portlethen, and Stonehaven household recycling centres will trial two non-booking days
Aberdeenshire Council’s Kincardine & Mearns Area Committee has made the decision to have Wednesdays and Saturdays as non-booking days across its three household recycling centres on a trial basis from Monday 28 November.
The decision to allow two non-booking days at Laurencekirk, Portlethen, and Stonehaven household recycling centres was made by the committee on Tuesday 8 November and considered how to ensure equality of access for households while keeping trade waste out of the sites.
This is the latest in a series of decisions around trialling changes to household recycling centre bookings that will begin on Monday 28 November and last until Friday 28 July 2023.
In October, the council’s Infrastructure Services Committee (ISC) also made the decision for household recycling centres in Formartine to allow non-booking days each Wednesday and Saturday from Monday 28 November.
As part of that same trial, household recycling centres in Banff & Buchan, Buchan, and Marr will fully remove the booking system on a trial basis from Monday 28 November until a further decision is made after the trial ends on Friday 28 July 2023.
The Garioch Area Committee chose to retain the booking system across its three household recycling centres in Insch, Inverurie, and Westhill at its meeting on Tuesday 1 November.
Since the introduction of the booking system, the council has seen a 10% increase in trade waste contracts and a reduction in waste typically associated with trade going through household recycling centres.
Household recycling centres, and their booking system, are for household waste only. Businesses can sign up to a trade waste collection service or use the council’s business waste drop-off service.
Waste collection and disposal is not included in business rates charges and all businesses across Scotland have a legal duty of care to separate and recycle their waste—the more waste they produce, the more it costs the business.
Reflecting on the meeting, Kincardine & Mearns Area Committee Chair Councillor Wendy Agnew said: “We need to consider ease of access for all households—not everyone is computer literate and there are occasions where people struggle to book. It is about recognising that the booking system is not as useful for some as it is for others and understanding how we can find that balance.
“There are cost pressures associated with trade waste entering household recycling centres, but households should be as free as possible to recycle what they need.”
Kincardine & Mearns Area Committee Vice Chair Councillor Sarah Dickinson said: “By statute, household recycling centres are not meant to be used for trade waste and money spent by the council to dispose of trade waste at these sites is money that cannot be spent elsewhere. It does look like the booking system helps to keep trade waste managed appropriately.
“We can also see that people are making more considered visits to household recycling centres—bringing more in fewer trips—which is good for sustainability. Maximising the amount that households recycle is key to reducing the environmental impact of waste, and this trial will support the council in finding the right balance.”
Please visit recycling.aberdeenshire.gov.uk to make a household recycling centre booking. This can be done up to seven days in advance.
If residents with household waste are unable to book online, please ask a friend or relative to book for you or call our Wasteline on 03456 081207.