Currently Abitibi provides a paper kerbside collection service in the city. Edinburgh city council wants to see more materials collected from households in order to achieve its recycling target of 27% in 2005/06.
” We have been running blue bag kerbside collections of paper for almost two years and welcome the opportunity to convert this to a multi-materials scheme “
– Ron Humphreys, Abitibi consolidated
Abitibi will be rolling out a scheme for the collection of glass, cans, textiles, cardboard and cartons – well as paper – to the 120,000 homes in the city. The scheme is in addition to the high density paper bank system that Abitibi already operates for the city's 60,000 tenement properties.
The collections will take place under a “quasi-weekly” system, with the paper, glass, cans and textiles alternating with the cardboard and carton collections. Once the service is fully rolled out next year, the company expects to be recovering 16,000 tonnes a year.
Conversion
Ron Humphreys, managing director at Abitibi, said: “We have been running blue bag kerbside collections of paper for almost two years and welcome the opportunity to convert this to a multi-materials scheme that uses the knowledge we have built up of the local area, coupled with our collective strengths as end users to build on the city's existing recycling rate.”
Abitibi already has proven markets for the city's cardboard and cartons, which will be reprocessed by an independent sub-contractor.
Councillor Robert Cairns, executive member for environmental services for the city of Edinburgh council, welcomed the awarding of the contract.
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He said: “Not only will this new service complement the existing paper recycling service, but residents are now being given the chance to recycle over half their waste at their doorstep. It is a great new system for the city and will see a massive reduction in the amount of waste going to landfill.”
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