Aviemore waste centre now accepting wood and scrap metal after Covid-19 lockdown
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Highland Council has announced that it is accepting additional materials at many of its household waste recycling centres across the region from today.
Some opening times are also being extended as part of the planned phased reopening of the facilities.
Wood and scrap metal have now been added to the range of items that are accepted at most locations –including the Granish site by Aviemore – where the layout and size of the site allows.
This brings the items now being taken to bagged household waste, garden waste, large and small electrical appliances, cardboard, wood and scrap metal.
A number of smaller sites are still unable to accept all these items and Kingussie and Grantown remain closed and are not expected to open until the end of next month.
Councillor Allan Henderson, chairman of the Highland Council’s Places and Communities Committee, said: “I am pleased we are continuing to make steady progress with the HWRC for householders and by introducing more materials that can be accepted for recycling and extending the opening hours this is another step towards the new normal.
"Our larger sites remain busy and are safely handling hundreds of visitors per day with limited queuing.
"By accepting a wider range of materials, it is likely that site users will be on site for longer and therefore we may see queues forming at the site entrances as we continue to maintain social distancing for the public and site operatives.
"To reduce the time spent on the site, householders are urged to separate their items before they go.”
Cars and small non-commercial 4 x 4 vehicles are the only vehicles permitted entry to the sites at present.
The council said this is enabling as many people as possible to pass through the sites and help to ensure that HWRC continue to operate smoothly and safely for both site users and staff.
Vans and trailers are not permitted at this stage.
Councillor Henderson said: “Preparation work is well under way to enable vans and trailers to use the facilities in due course whilst adhering to social distancing.
"To help manage demand and to avoid lengthy queues an online booking system is being developed for our larger sites whereby vans and trailer owners will be able to book a slot to use the facilities.
"Information about how the booking system will work will be provided in the coming weeks.”
To help reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus site staff will be adopting robust hygiene standards.
Householders should wash their hands before and after visiting one of the sites and observe social distancing guidelines.
All HWRC across Scotland were closed in March due to the Scottish Governments Covid-19 and restrictions on non-essential travel.
For more information visit on the operations at the Granish site by Aviemore visit: www.highland.gov.uk/recyclingcentres
