For four months the mobile recycling service will operate around Jedburgh as part of a Scottish Borders-wide consultation. The local authority is looking in to introducing the service to five areas.
Councillor Gordon Edgar, executive member for roads and infrastructure, said the pilot was one of the way the Scottish Border council was looking to reduce the amount of waste out in the residual bin – 70% of which could have been recycled.
He explained: “We are always looking at ways to increase recycling in the Scottish Borders.
“This mobile recycling service pilot scheme is our latest effort. It is important to emphasise this is a pilot scheme, with the results of the pilot and survey to be considered fully before a final decision is made.
The recycling service will accept a range of materials – from cooking oil and WEEE to garden waste. Grass cuttings and hedge clippings will only be accepted until mid October, whilst wood is accepted up to the dimensions of 10cm by 20cm by 60cm.
“We are always looking at ways to increase recycling in the Scottish Borders.This mobile recycling service pilot scheme is our latest effort”
When the recycling vehicles are full the service will end for the day. Three bags of recyclable materials and three bags of grass cuttings and/or hedge clippings will be allowed per vehicle.
Landfill free
As the mobile recycling service is a pilot, users are being asked to respond to a survey to give the council their views on the scheme. The results of the survey will inform plans for a mobile recycling service to be rolled out to Coldstream, Jedburgh, Lauder, Newcastleton and West Linton.
The Scottish Borders has now declared itself a landfill-free area – the majority of the waste previously sent to landfill is now treated to produce a refuse derived fuel (RDF) or is recovered so that it can be recycled (see letsrecycle.com story).
In the past year Scottish Borders council has closed the Easter Langlee landfill site and opening a new waste transfer site. A reuse cabin has been opened at Elshiels Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) and a cooking oil recycling service introduced at all HWRCs.
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